Gilas Pilipinas Women secure Asia Cup Final Four qualifier, lose to South Korea

Gilas Pilipinas Women secured their place in the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup Final Four qualifiers but were defeated by South Korea, 104-71, on Friday at the Shenzhen Sports Center in China.

The team finished sixth after losing to New Zealand, 78-71, in the classification match for fifth and sixth place on Saturday, despite a strong second-half effort that cut an early 16-point deficit to four by halftime.

Vanessa de Jesus led Gilas with 16 points, while Khate Castillo contributed 14 points including crucial three-pointers in the second half.

The late collapse put the Filipinas in the same spot as their 2023 campaign where they also finished sixth in Sydney, Australia. Despite trailing at halftime and falling short in the final minutes, the team's performance was commendable as they secured a ticket for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers due to their assured top-six finish in Division A.

Coach Pat Aquino acknowledged that the loss is a learning opportunity and emphasized the importance of preparation for future tournaments.