Valkyries Ignite Late to Claim Solo Second Spot

Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire flexed its dominance over Pasig, 93-65, to close the first round of the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) regular season in sole possession of second place on Sunday at the Alonte Sports Arena.

Since a narrow 79-83 overtime defeat to league leaders Biñan-Tatak Gel on April 15, the defending champions have bounced back with three consecutive wins, finishing the opening round with a 4-1 record.

“We knew the Queenpin would come out strong, so we made sure to prepare accordingly,” said Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva. “They’re coming off a loss, but we anticipated a tough fight, and we were ready for today.”

Jil Talas caught fire in the second half, sinking five three-pointers to finish with a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

With a nine-point lead at 65-56 in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries unleashed an 18-2 run, highlighted by three of Talas’ clutch triples, extending the margin to 83-58 with five minutes remaining—a surge Pasig could not recover from.

Reigning MVP Afril Bernardino contributed a monster stat line with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and three steals in just under 26 minutes. Snow Peñaranda added 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Camille Claro chipped in 10 points, five assists, and four boards to help secure Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire’s fourth victory of the tournament backed by Aktive.

Pasig, meanwhile, continued its slide with its third consecutive defeat, dropping to 1-4 and tied with Caloocan at the bottom of the standings. Gabi Bade led the Queenpin with 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while LJ Miranda added 13 points and eight rebounds. Nikka Villanueva also contributed 12 points and eight boards in the loss.