TnT Tropang Giga is making a coaching trailblazer in the PBA anew.
Management appointed Mau Belen to handle the campaign of its 3-aside team in the inaugural 3x3 tournament of Asia’s pioneering pro league, in the process becoming the first female coach in PBA history.
Team manager Gabby Cui confirmed the selection of Belen as 3x3 coach on Friday.
The 29-year-old Belen earlier already carved her niche in the league when she became the first lady to become part of a team coaching staff after being offered to become part of coach Chot Reyes’ staff.
Belen briefly joined the Tropang Giga in the Philippine Cup, but didn’t accompany the team when the tournament was transferred in Bacolor, Pampanga and played under a semi-bubble set-up.
TnT went on to win the all-Filipino championship by beating Magnolia in five games and end a six-year title drought.
Belen hopes to duplicate the feat in the half-court meet, tentatively set to open on Nov. 20.
TNT 3x3 lineup
Cui also confirmed Fil-Am guard Jeremiah Gray will be suiting up for the Tropang Giga, along with TnT holdovers Almond Vosotros, Samboy De Leon, and Lervin Flores.
“Yun lang muna (as of now),” said Cui in a curt reply.
3x3 teams are allowed to have six players in their rosters.
So far, teams are just doing individual workouts, but may start practicing as a unit possibly by next week in the light of contact sports finally being allowed in the National Capital Region (NCR) which has been downgraded to Level 2 by the Inter-Agency Task Force.
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