2025 WMPBL Invitational Tournament

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2025 WMPBL Invitational Tournament
Tournament details
CountryFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
DatesJanuary 19 – TBA 2025
Teams14
TV partner(s) IBC
Final positions
ChampionsPilipinas Aguilas
Runners-up UST Growling Tigresses
Awards
MVP Afril Bernardino [1] (Navy)
2025  

The WMPBL Invitational Tournament was a tournament that serves as the launch event of the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL). The tournament featured fourteen teams and ran from January 19 to April 23, 2025.

Contents

Background

In October 2024, seven years after the founding of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, league founder Manny Pacquiao established the women's MPBL together with commissioner Haydee Ong. As preparation for the league's full launch in mid-2025, it will host an invitational tournament similar to its men's counterpart.

Format

Fourteen teams will compete in the tournament and were divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. Each team played one game against each team from the opposing group, for a total of seven games for each team. At the end of the elimination round, the top four teams in each group will advance to the playoffs. [2] Tiebreakers are broken by point differential as per FIBA rules.

The top four teams from each group advanced to the playoffs with the two gaining a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are a knockout single-game playoffs and the finals was a best-of-three series. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, teams will be playing against teams from the same group. [2]

Roster regulations

For this tournament only, the minimum age requirement for all players is 18 years of age. Each team will also be able to field up to one import and two Filipino-foreigner players during the tournament. In addition, each team is limited to two players who play for the Philippine national team.

Playing venues

Elimination roundElimination round and Quarterfinals
Quadricentennial Pavilion
Sampaloc, Manila
Ynares Sports Arena
Pasig
Enderun Colleges
Taguig
Capacity: 5,792Capacity: 3,000Capacity: N/A
QuarterfinalsFinals
New Era Gymnasium
Quezon City
Rizal Memorial Coliseum
Manila
Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Manila
Capacity: N/ACapacity: 6,100Capacity: 6,000

Elimination round

The elimination round began on January 19, 2025 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion in Sampaloc, Manila, home of the UST Growling Tigresses. [3] [4]

Group A

Standings

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDGB
1Discovery Perlas761555446+109Twice-to-beat in quarterfinals
2Pilipinas Navy Aguilas752561408+1531
3 FEU Lady Tamaraws 72544645484Twice-to-win in quarterfinals
4Cavite 'Tol Patriots725416461454
5PSP Gymers7163745141405
6 CEU Lady Scorpions 7163675782115
7Solar Home Suns7163125972855

Results

TeamGame
1234567
Cavite 'Tol Patriots
(CAV)
NZB
51–54
PHN
57–70
IMS
87–48
SJ
58–62
EZJ
69–54
UST
46–96
GAL
48–77
CEU Lady Scorpions
(CEU)
GAL
46–102
EZJ
68–65
NZB
48–91
UST
33–105
IMS
78–79
SJ
42–43
PHN
52–93
Discovery Perlas
(DIS)
UST
67–82
IMS
108–60
PHN
80–71
EZJ
88–45
GAL
74–67
NZB
59–56
SJ
79–65
FEU Lady Tamaraws
(FEU)
EZJ
69–45
SJ
37–44
PHN
61–76
NZB
68–70
IMS
91–60
GAL
46–63
UST
74–96
Pilipinas Navy Aguilas
(PIL)
NZB
66–55
PHN
65–72
SJ
78–52
EZJ
113–55
UST
82–75
IMS
99–36
GAL
58–63
PSP Gymers
(PSP)
IMS
70–73
UST
32–75
NZB
38–71
GAL
39–74
PHN
35–68
EZJ
79–67
SJ
81–86*
Solar Home Suns
(SOL)
SJ
39–75
GAL
20–72
PHN
46–94
IMS
57–52
UST
43–95
NZB
41–107
EZJ
66–77
Source: Schedule via Genius Sports (MPBL)
Legend: Blue = win; Red = loss; Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime. (*) Number of asterisks denotes number of overtime periods

Group B

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDGB
1 UST Growling Tigresses 761624377+247Twice-to-beat in quarterfinals
2Galeries Tower Manila761518331+187
3Philippine Navy Lady Sailors761544386+158Twice-to-win in quarterfinals
4New Zealand Bluefire Valkyries752504371+1331
5San Juan Lady Knights752427414+131
6Imus Lady Magdalo7254375901534
7EZ Jersey–Relentless Basketball7164085521445

Results

TeamGame
1234567
EZ Jersey–Relentless Basketball
(EZJ)
FEU
45–69
CEU
65–68
PIL
55–113
DIS
45–88
CAV
54–69
PSP
67–79
SOL
77–66
Galeries Tower Manila
(GAL)
CEU
102–46
SOL
72–20
PSP
74–39
DIS
67–74
FEU
63–46
PIL
63–58
CAV
77–48
Imus Lady Magdalo
(IMS)
PSP
73–70
DIS
60–108
CAV
48–87
SOL
52–57
CEU
79–78
FEU
60–91
PIL
36–99
New Zealand Bluefire Valkyries
(NZB)
CAV
54–51
PIL
55–66
PSP
71–38
CEU
91–48
FEU
70–68
DIS
56–59
SOL
107–41
Philippine Navy Lady Sailors
(PHN)
CAV
70–57
PIL
72–65
DIS
71–80
SOL
94–46
FEU
76–61
PSP
68–35
CEU
93–52
San Juan Lady Knights
(SJ)
SOL
75–39
FEU
44–37
PIL
52–78
CAV
62–58
CEU
43–42
DIS
65–79
DIS
86–81*
UST Growling Tigresses
(UST)
DIS
82–67
PSP
75–32
CEU
105–33
PIL
75–82
SOL
95–43
CAV
96–46
FEU
96–74
Source: Schedule via Genius Sports (MPBL)
Legend: Blue = win; Red = loss; Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime. (*) Number of asterisks denotes number of overtime periods

Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. Teams in italics have twice-to-beat advantage for the series.

QuarterfinalsSemifinals
(knockout)
Finals
(best-of-three)
(A1 twice-to-beat)
A1Discovery93
A4Cavite58
A1Discovery48
(A2 twice-to-beat)
A2Aguilas65
A2Aguilas78
A3 FEU 49
A2Aguilas2
(B1 twice-to-beat)
B1UST1
B1 UST 63
B4New Zealand54
B1UST67
(B2 twice-to-beat)
B2Galleries Tower54
B2Galleries Tower4380
B3Philippine Navy5667

Quarterfinals

(A1) Discovery vs. (A4) Cavite

April 6
Discovery Perlas93, Cavite 'Tol Patriots 58
Discovery wins series in one game
New Era Gym, Quezon City

(A2) Aguilas vs. (A3) FEU

April 6
Pilipinas Aguilas93, FEU Lady Tamaraws 58
Aguilas wins series in one game
New Era Gym, Quezon City

(B1) UST vs. (B4) New Zealand

April 6
UST Growling Tigresses 63, New Zealand Bluefire Valkyries 54
UST wins series in one game
New Era Gym, Quezon City

(B2) Galeries Tower vs. (B3) Philippine Navy

April 6
Galeries Tower Manila 43, Philippine Navy Lady Sailors56
New Era Gym, Quezon City
April 9
Philippine Navy Lady Sailors 67, Galeries Tower Manila80
Galleries Tower wins series in two games
Enderun Gym, Taguig

Semifinals

April 13
UST Growling Tigresses 67, Galleries Tower Manila 54
April 13
Discovery Perlas 48, Pilipinas Aguilas65

Finals

April 16
Pilipinas Aguilas 95, UST Growling Tigresses 86 (OT)
April 20
UST Growling Tigresses 69, Pilipinas Aguilas 64
April 23
Pilipinas Aguilas54, UST Growling Tigresses 45
Aguilas wins series, 2–1

Media

The league's games was broadcast by IBC on television. [3] The network had previously broadcast the Maharlika Pilipinas men's leaguem specifically the 2021 MPBL Invitational. The league streamed the games on its social media platforms.

References

  1. "Navy's Afril Bernardino named first-ever WMPBL MVP". ABS-CBN News. April 20, 2025. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Inaugural Women's MPBL tips off with 14 teams". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. January 17, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "All set for WMPBL opening salvo". Daily Tribune. January 18, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  4. "UST overwhelms Discovery Perlas in inaugural WMPBL game". ABS-CBN News. January 20, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.