Gilas Women Exit Early at 2026 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Manila

Host nation Philippines saw its 2026 FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series-Manila campaign end prematurely after Gilas Pilipinas Women failed to advance from pool play on Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Gilas fell 14-9 to Germany in their opener and then lost 21-10 to Team USA, eliminating the country from the prestigious international tournament. With Manila Gilas having already missed out in the qualifying draw, no Philippine team will participate in Friday’s knockout stage.

Despite the defeats, Gilas guard Camille Clarin remained positive about the team’s growth against some of the world’s top 3x3 squads.

“It’s always a learning lesson. We may not have the best result, but we always learn. There’s always something to take away,” said Clarin.

The Filipinas struggled offensively against Germany, converting just eight of 24 field-goal attempts and missing all six two-point tries. Mikke Cacho and Clarin led the scoring with three points each, but the Germans dictated the pace throughout.

Gilas showed more fight against powerhouse Team USA, even taking an 8-6 lead midway through the game. However, the Americans quickly responded, with Joyce Edwards leading a decisive 9-1 run that shifted momentum. A late two-pointer from Mikaylah Williams sealed the 21-10 victory with 1:24 remaining. Tantoy Ferrer led Gilas with four points, while Cacho added three.

Clarin stressed that the team aimed to turn their lack of size into an advantage through speed and aggressiveness.

“We try not to see being undersized as a weakness. We counter it with our tempo, speed, and outside shooting. It’s about playing our own game rather than focusing on how big our opponents are,” she said.

Team USA and Germany topped their pool to advance to the quarterfinals, joined by Beijing (China), Azerbaijan’s Neftchi SOCAR, and Lithuania as other pool leaders.

The knockout stage matchups will be Beijing vs. Germany, Lithuania vs. China, Neftchi SOCAR vs. Mongolia, and Team USA vs. Ulaanbaatar Amazons. Edwards, Brianna Fraser of Neftchi SOCAR, and Zhang Zhiting of Beijing finished as the group stage’s top scorers with 18 points apiece.