Valkyries Cruise Past Lady Kankaloo, Finish Eliminations at 8-2

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire cruised to an 88-57 victory over Caloocan on Sunday afternoon at the Alonte Sports Arena, wrapping up their 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) regular season with an impressive 8-2 record.

The Valkyries took command early, establishing a double-digit lead after the first quarter and never looking back. They dictated the tempo from start to finish, showcasing their depth in a dominant performance.

With the win, Batangas-New Zealand kept their hopes alive for the No. 1 seed, pending the result of Akari-Rizal’s later game against Pasig. Both teams currently sit at 8-2.

“We wanted to end the regular season on a winning note. For us, this is just one-fourth of the journey toward another championship—finishing the regular season,” said Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva.

“As I told the team, it’s like going up a mountain—we’re just one-fourth of the way. We have a lot of steps to go before reaching the goal.”

Already assured of a semifinal berth, the Valkyries limited the playing time of their starters and relied on their bench to maintain intensity on both ends of the court.

Snow Peñaranda led the balanced scoring with 15 points and eight rebounds in under 16 minutes. Afril Bernardino contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Rocel Dionisio added 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Khate Castillo and Rizza Lozada each chipped in eight points.

Caloocan, on the other hand, dropped its fifth straight game to finish the eliminations at the bottom of the standings with a 1-9 record. Roxanne Candido led the Lady Kankaloo with 10 points, while Dianne Pedregosa and Loraine Capilit added eight points each.