Still looking to beef up the women's 3x3 national team for an important international tournament next month in Singapore, basketball officials used the Manila Hustle 3x3 Season 2 tournament as a tryout where six teams tangled with the Gilas Pilipinas squad.
The event was meant as a showcase for young and aspiring players eager to prove their worth as future members of the national team.
“We wanted to use this tournament to evaluate the players in the pool and identify who can play in the Fiba Asia Cup 3x3,” said Eric Altamirano, the national 3x3 program director, who seems bent on making an impression at the FIBA event.
Allana Lim steals show
But the competition apparently did not produce outstanding play from the young aspirants. Instead, an old reliable showed the rest how women's basketball should be played.
Allana Lim had the crowd at the Mall of Asia Music Hall cheer her as she showed streaks of brilliance for the Discovery Perlas team and received praise from teammates and foes alike during the two-day tournament.
“Sobrang grateful ko na naabutan ko siya (Manila Hustle),” the 35-year-old Filipina forward said, about having the chance to play in the tournament.
Probably the oldest member of the Gilas team, she did not show her age at all and turned back the years to help her team secure a third-place finish.
It was not a solo job, however, as Lim had plenty of help from University of Santo Tomas stalwart and two-time UAAP MVP Grace Irebu, Mythical Three member Joylyn Pangilinan, and Two-Point shootout winner Hazelle Yam.
Together, they went undefeated in three games in pool play, held off Uratex Dream, 19-14, in the quarterfinals, took eventual champion Zoos Tokyo to the limit before losing in the semifinal. They then outlasted Tokyo Dime, 21-20, in the battle for third to take home the $1,000 consolation prize.
Allana's experience counts
Although not victorious in the tournament, officials and players said a tournament like this provides experience and toughness once they compete abroad.
“This is an experience that’s not so typical – that you play with the best in the world,” tournament director Peachy Medina said. “You need that for the growth and development of our players.”
Lim said she did not earn her spurs just testing the local scene. She had been a longtime import in the Malaysian Women’s Basketball League and played in many other regional leagues.
“You can see me everywhere: Southeast Asian countries, Asia, palagi ako naglalaro, not only 5v5, pero 3x3,” the former UAAP MVP out of Far Eastern University said. She added that opportunities for women to play abroad have expanded.
“It's gotten bigger and bigger para sa ligang kababaihan.”
“And sana hindi sila magsawang sumuporta sa ating community. And I hope palaki pa ng palaki yung susuporta,” she added.
Currently, Lim, who was the Women’s National Basketball League MVP in 2021 when she led the Parañaque Lady Aces to the title, is skills coach for the UST Golden Tigresses.
But after making an impression in the Manila Hustle, professional basketball has reeled her back in and she has set aside retirement plans for the moment.
“Siguro two years from now, pero titingnan ko. As long as healthy ako, siguro hanggang umabot ako ng kwarenta, why not?”
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