#PSAAwards: Gilas Women get two breakthrough fetes as Aquino, Animam lauded

Thanks to their historic 2019, the Gilas Pilipinas Women's program will be feted with two citations at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards at the Manila Hotel later tonight.

Head coach and program head Patrick Aquino and stalwart center Jack Danielle Animam will be recognized by the country's oldest media organization, as they get the nod for the inaugural Coach of the Year and Ms. Basketball for their standout performances last year, both domestic and internationally.

At home, the duo dominated the UAAP for National University, as it extended its clean sweep of the women's basketball tournament to its sixth consecutive season and in the process, holds the distinction as the hottest team in Philippine college hoops.

Their streak of 96 consecutive wins overtook the previous record set by the University of Manila fourteen years ago, where its Hawks won 86 straight in men's basketball of the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities from 2001-2005 that gave them five straight titles for Ato Tolentino.

But it was their international campaign that gave them the accolade, as a busy year was capped off by their dominating performance in the Southeast Asian Games where their breakthrough came in both the 3x3 and the 5x5 editions of basketball where they contributed exactly half of the golden sweep by the host nation.

Animam were joined by Afril Bernardino, Clare Castro and Janine Pontejos in claiming the maiden gold in the short game in San Juan, avenging their lone defeat to the Thais in the preliminary round by mauling them in the gold medal game on December 2.

And eight days later, they overpowered the Thais of former WNBA player Tiffany Bias in front of the sold-out crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena to end their drought for their first gold ever in the full version.

This was despite their stint in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup after only won once, against India, that guaranteed their stay as Division A team, and made its bow at the Women's Olympic Qualifier where they were shut out by powerhouses New Zealand, China and South Korea in Auckland.

Photo by Kevin Estrada