Batangas, Akari eye semifinal sweeps and Finals return

Defending champion Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire and top-seeded Akari-Rizal will try to finish off their respective semifinal series on Wednesday as both teams look to secure berths in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) Finals at the Parañaque Coliseum.

The Valkyries and Sparks each took commanding Game 1 victories last Sunday, with Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire defeating Biñan-Tatak Gel, 75-64, and Akari-Rizal routing RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT, 93-67, to move within one win of a Finals showdown.

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire and Biñan-Tatak Gel open the doubleheader at 4 p.m., followed by Akari-Rizal and RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT at 6 p.m.

After leaning on a decisive 12-0 closing run to pull away in the series opener, Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva stressed the importance of maintaining the same intensity in Game 2.

"Our job's not yet done. We need to put in the work. We need to close out this series come Game 2," Villanueva said.

"We need to contain their shooters. Luisa San Juan played well. Of course, Ara Abaca gave a classic performance. It's a bittersweet feeling for me because those are my players from college, and I'm really proud of how they played," he added.

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire will once again rely on Snow Peñaranda and reigning MVP Afril Bernardino after both starred in Game 1. Peñaranda finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks, while Bernardino delivered a dominant all-around performance with 20 points, 19 rebounds, and eight assists.

Biñan-Tatak Gel, meanwhile, looks to regroup after going scoreless over the final four minutes of the opener, missing all five of its field-goal attempts while committing two costly turnovers. The Angels will also need a stronger outing from Chack Cabinbin, who was held scoreless in nearly 19 minutes.

In the second semifinal, Akari-Rizal aims to build on its wire-to-wire Game 1 victory after overwhelming RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT with an explosive offensive display.

Janine Pontejos, who erupted for 24 points behind six three-pointers in the opener, is expected to once again lead the Sparks alongside Mar Prado, Raiza Palmera-Dy, and Allana Lim as Akari-Rizal seeks to book another Finals appearance.

RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT, however, hopes to extend the series behind Tantoy Ferrer, who nearly recorded a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists despite the defeat.

With their seasons on the line, Biñan-Tatak Gel and RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT must win Game 2 to force deciding Game 3s and deny a highly anticipated Finals rematch between Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire and Akari-Rizal.