WNBL to go 'All-Filipina' in maiden pro season
MANILA, Philippines — The Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is set to field 'All-Filipina' rosters in its first season as a pro league.
Eager to explore and expose local talents here in the country, the league will not be entertaining Filipino-Americans or overseas players for the time being.
"I have always believed even during my pro league days that there's a surplus of women players in the Philippines," said NBL Executive Vice President Rhose Montreal during the recent episode of Tiebreaker Vods' So She Did podcast.
"I might as well give them the exposure and then getting imports or getting Fil-Foreigners to play will come later," she added.
The WNBL is set to hold a draft come October, with the league expected to receive applications online amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
With women's basketball on the rise following the huge success of the Gilas women's team in the Southeast Asian Games last year, the WNBL will be a great aspiration for upcoming talents and post-college athletes.
Determined to raise women's basketball in the country to a mainstream level, Montreal is holding on tight to the principles behind the WNBL.
"My priority, my marketing strategy in selling [the] WNBL is not basically their skin, it's not basically how the women look," Montreal said.
"For me, it's really the skills and prove that basketball is not only for men. What men can do, women can do better," she added.
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