Former UAAP MVP Ewon Arayi steps aside as a playing-coach to give more opportunities to younger players in the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Ewon Arayi has been waiting for the chance to play in a league like the Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League for decades, having been at the peak of her career in the early 2000s.
But with her prime having passed when Commissioner Haydee Ong and sports patron Senator Manny Pacquiao joined forces to push for the country’s first-ever professional women’s basketball league in 2024, Arayi is settling for a smaller role in the push for Filipina ballers.
Listed as a playing-coach for the Kalos PH Philippine Navy Lady Sailors Go For Gold, Arayi gets to witness the growth of women’s basketball, after setting the stage during her time with the Adamson Lady Falcons and the national team all those years ago.
Flanked with younger and fitter players in the Navy lineup, Arayi admits that she may not have the opportunity to actually play, especially as she prioritizes her role as a tactician over being a player.
“Of course, having this WMPBL ngayon diba it’s very exciting. Excited ang lahat. Of course, even me, I’m still a player naman po eh. I still represent Philippine Navy as a basketball player. So para sakin po, ang saya-saya ng pakiramdam, gustong gusto ko pumasok,” Arayi told One Sports.
“Unfortunately, 15 players to play lang and of course, I really wanted to see yung buong laro ng mga player ko for me to be able na makapag-adjust sa susunod na laro. Yung playing siguro sa ngayon, for me ah, ibibigay ko na to sa mas bata sakin sa team para at least ako, mas matutulungan ko na lang sila to lead and to guide them sa laro,” she continued.
Arayi was the UAAP Most Valuable Player in 2004 with the Lady Falcons, and also won the gold in the SEABA Championship with then-national team head coach Ong back in 2010.
But while the opportunity having passed for her to consistently see action in the WMPBL, Arayi’s gratefulness didn’t change.
After laying the ground work for the early days of women’s basketball, the now 39-year-old is happy to see the sport flourish.
“Of course di ba, sa pag-establish nitong WMPBL — we hope and pray na sana magtuloy tuloy ito, not just for us naman na naglalaro ngayon, but of course sa mga young generation ng women’s basketball dito sa Pilipinas and even abroad, malay natin pagdating ng araw,” she said.
Among Arayi’s mentees in the Navy is Gilas Pilipinas Women stalwart Afril Bernardino, who flexed her prowess in their opening game against the Cavite Tol Patriots at Enderun Colleges on Sunday.
Bernardino, a three-time UAAP champion and a two-time SEA Games gold medalist in 5-on-5 hoops, said that she’s learned a lot from Arayi — especially when it comes to centering herself on the court as the game progresses.
“Madami actually, lalo na sa sitwasyon ko ngayon. Mas nagiging pasaway ako. Yun. Hinahabaan niya pa yung pasensya niya para sakin. Marami, marami akong natututunan kay coach Ewon,” she said.
Bernardino had 28 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a stat-sheet stuffing game for the Navy as they won over Cavite, 70-57.
Arayi’s team thus goes 1-0 in their first foray into the WMPBL.
The league, which features 14 teams in two groups of seven in the elimination round, plays every Wednesday and Sunday.