Sparks Crush Queenpin in Blowout, Clinch No. 1 Seed

Akari-Rizal Sparks left no doubt about their dominance, routing Pasig 88–51 on Sunday at the Alonte Sports Arena to secure the top seed in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL)

The Sparks, already guaranteed a semifinal berth, took control from the opening tip and never looked back. They opened the game with a commanding 15–0 run led by Allana Lim and cruised to a wire-to-wire victory, finishing the regular season with a league-best 9–1 record.

Lim set the tone early with seven quick points and finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Raiza Palmera-Dy contributed 15 points and six assists off the bench, while Mar Prado and Janine Pontejos each added nine points. Stef Ventura posted eight points and nine rebounds as the Sparks closed the eliminations on a seven-game winning streak.

“Well, I think we played good defense but we just have to clean up ‘yung fouls namin. Marami ‘yung fouls. I think all the quarters we were in penalty, so we have to clean that up,” said Akari-Rizal head coach Derrick Pumaren, whose team was called for 18 fouls in the game.

Akari-Rizal will face the winner of the quarterfinal between RK Hoops-Quezon City 10ACT and Pasig in the semifinals.

The Queenpins dropped to 2–8 after their third straight loss. No Pasig player reached double figures, with Lee Sario leading the way with seven points. Gabi Bade was limited to four points in just 15 minutes, while LJ Miranda scored two.