HAYDEE Ong shocked many with her decision to step down as the commissioner of the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) on Sunday.
More curious was the timing, with the league set to open in April 12 at Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.
Ong cited “irreconcilable differences in making critical and major decisions for the league” as her reasons for stepping down.
READ All the college standouts who have taken their acts to the MPBL
"Over the past several months, it has become increasingly clear that the current environment within the league's management has made that mission impossible to fulfill," wrote the concurrent University of Santo Tomas Tigresses coach.
In addition, deputy commissioner Arsenio Dysangco, legal counsel Ma. Ana Fatima Tolentino, technical head Editha Botecario, and executive secretary Fatima Pumaren also tendered their resignations from the league on Monday.
WMPBL president John Kallos remains the lone person in the administration as the league has yet to name an interim commissioner.
However, it maintained that the season will go on as planned and even garnered statements of support from several teams.
But the biggest question really is why Ong left in the first place, with the coach even stating her decision was made "with a heavy heart but a clear conscience."
Many sources though floated the idea that as with most endeavors bankrolled by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, it might just be a case of "Manny (or money) many problems."
Not that the former senator is in dire financial straits in the first place. But to those who follow sports for the longest time, we're sure you get the point. - RL
Bacon Austria takes charge of Gilas Women program
BACON Austria will have the enormous task of overseeing the program rebuild as he has been named as the new program director for women's basketball.
Insiders told Spin.ph that the duty has been placed on the shoulders of the current Ateneo juniors coach following the federation's decision to part ways with Pat Aquino after 12 years.
The son of San Miguel coach Leo Austria and a former PBA player in his own right, is no stranger to the national team having worked as an assistant to Norman Black in the last Southeast Asian Games.
His foremost duty, however, is finding someone to fill the big shoes left by Aquino.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is reportedly looking overseas to find a suitable replacement. The plan is to hire a foreign coach to sustain the gains of the women's national basketball team.
And they have to find a new Gilas Women coach quick especially with the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya in Japan happening in September.
But doing so wouldn't be easy.
Aquino basically supervised the pipeline from the youth team to the seniors level for the better part of the last 12 years, securing the commitments of Fil-foreign standouts like Vanessa De Jesus, Sumayah Sugapong, Camille Clarin, Angel Surada, and Louna Ozar, to name a few, all while developing homegrown talents bannered by legends like Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, and Jack Animam.
Truth be told, doing so won't be an easy job to fill.
If successful, it would be the first time that Gilas Women will have a foreign head coach. - RL
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
