Basking in spotlight, Ong and Tigresses send women’s hoops a little shine

This season was like no other for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) women’s basketball squad.

There is that little thing about winning the UAAP women’s basketball crown for the first time in nearly two decades and ending a seven-year dynasty of the magnificent National U Lady Bulldogs.

And then there are the other unfamiliar, but much-welcomed, parts.

At the end of each season, the Tigresses often break up into individual vacations, being with family for however short a period is allowed before they return to camp.

This time, however, an invitation shoehorned an event into their calendars.

“First time, yes,” UST champion coach Haydee Ong told the Inquirer late Monday evening during the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) Awards Night. “And I’m so happy.”

Kent Pastrana and Tantoy Ferrer, two of Ong’s top guns, were ecstatic, too. Even if they walked into the Discovery Suites ballroom trying to figure out what in the world they were doing there.

“Why did I become a part of this? Why am I here?” Pastrana said, laughing.

“When I entered the room, a lot of [journalists] interviewed me. It’s like, I’m here, they’re here, this is fun,” Ferrer added.

The CPC gave them reason to be there. Ong, Pastrana and Ferrer were honored by the group that covers collegiate sports, which for the first time included women’s basketball in its roster of awardees because of “the group’s mandate and vision, slowly and one by one, of expanding our awards night to as many sports as possible for inclusivity and fairness.”

“We started by feting only the achievers from the staple events such as men’s basketball and, last year, women’s volleyball for the first time but we intend to honor more as all athletes simply deserve it. We’re humbled to be the stage for that,” the CPC added Saturday in a statement provided to the Inquirer.

Building on momentum

The three Thomasians used the CPC’s stage to further push women’s basketball into the mainstream consciousness.

“I’m an advocate, not only for women’s basketball, but generally, [for] women in sports,” Ong said. “So, yeah, this (the CPC event) is [removing] barriers for women in sports. So, we’re very happy that we were being acknowledged and honored tonight.”

Ong was named UAAP women’s basketball coach of the year while Pastrana won the inaugural women’s collegiate basketball player of the year. Ferrer joined Pastrana in the UAAP women’s basketball mythical selection.

“I didn’t know there was an award like this,” Pastrana said.

“As a woman who plays, [being honored] feels really good,” Ferrer said. “We feel inspired because we get to [help] people appreciate how women’s basketball plays.”

In receiving their awards, the Tigresses stressed the importance of building on the momentum generated by one of the most watched seasons of their discipline. For the first time, women’s basketball games in the UAAP packed venues with screaming fans. And joining the usual CPC roster of honorees brightens the spotlight.

“Women’s basketball is becoming more and more popular,” Pastrana said. “It’s exciting to watch because you can see a lot of physicality that many think isn’t there because women are the ones playing.”

And the Tigresses hope to push that showcase further.

“We need to continue showing that we play hard and that we’re always competing,” Ferrer said.

For Ong, riding the wave means giving audiences more venues to watch women’s basketball outside of the collegiate scene.

“I think [we need] the consistency of other leagues, not just UAAP, even in preseason, right? Like, we have games in G-Ball or Manila Cup,” Ong said. “There are [people] who are live streaming [the games]. I think those are the necessary platforms for women’s basketball.”

For now, the honors bestowed on them will push the Tigresses to work even harder.

“I won’t let this opportunity go to waste. This will be an inspiration for me,” Pastrana said. “I think we are also an inspiration to other kids.”

“This is not only for me,” Ong said of her award. “[This is] also for the women coaches who are dreaming to be recognized for women’s basketball. I think it’s something they can aspire for, being the Collegiate Press Corps Coach of the Year.”