In a highly anticipated clash of undefeated teams, San Juan and New Zealand-Blufire Batangas will put their perfect records on the line as the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) regular season resumes on Sunday. The Valkyries and the Lady Knights, the last two unbeaten squads in the six-team field, will face off at 6 p.m. at the Rosario Cultural and Sports Center in Batangas, following a break for the FIBA 3×3 tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia.
New Zealand-Blufire Batangas currently leads the standings with a flawless 3-0 record and will rely on key players such as Pringle Fabruada, Snow Peñaranda, and Afril Bernardino to secure their fourth consecutive victory. Valkyries head coach Cholo Villanueva acknowledges the challenge posed by San Juan, describing them as a “very good, competitive team.” He emphasized the importance of preparation, stating, “We’re looking forward to that competition. They’re a well-structured team, well-coached by coach Ai [Lebornio]. We’re gonna be preparing for them and we’ll want to dictate the game against them.”
On the other side, the Lady Knights (2-0) will once again look to veteran guard Chack Cabinbin to lead the team, especially with captain Janine Pontejos uncertain to return due to personal reasons. Cabinbin is coming off a strong 24-point performance in their previous win over Tagaytay-Tol. Supporting her will be Hazel Panti, Florence Talas, and Rejoice Adlawan, who all made significant contributions in the last outing.
In the opening game of the double-header, the struggling Perlas (0-2) will aim to secure their first win against RK Hoops-Quezon City (1-2), who are looking to bounce back after a heavy 54-point loss to New Zealand-Blufire Batangas. Discovery-Rizal, coached by Derrick Pumaren, will rely on the trio of Allana Lim, Tantoy Ferrer, and Raiza Palmera-Dy, while RK Hoops-Quezon City will count on Caryl Molina, Bernalyn Aragon, and Cara Buendia to lead their charge. The opening game is set to tip off at 4 p.m.