Gilas Pilipinas’ women’s 3×3 team stormed through opening day at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The Philippines stunned powerhouse Mongolia, 17-12, then routed Macau, 21-4, on Tuesday at Kinjo Futo Station Square to open Group C play at a perfect 2-0.

The sweep locks in a play-ins spot for the Filipinas and sets up a marquee showdown on Wednesday. Gilas Women will face fellow unbeaten Malaysia at 5:05 p.m., with the group’s No. 1 seed and a direct quarterfinal berth on the line.

Dela Rosa’s Grit Powers Gilas Women’s Upset of Mongolia

Kacey Dela Rosa was the story of the opener against Mongolia, overcoming a right-ankle sprain suffered just two minutes into the game. She returned to dominate inside, finishing with 10 points and three rebounds.

“It (injury) is not an excuse para mag-stop sa paglaban. I came back and we got the win,” the 22-year-old Dela Rosa said in an interview with One Sports.

“I saw my team and the opponents were up already, parang doon na nag-click na they need me inside. Kaya ‘yun, I tied my shoes and came back in,” added the Ateneo standout, who won gold with the Philippines’ 3×3 team at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.

With Dela Rosa controlling the paint, the Philippines erased an 8-5 deficit and ripped off a 10-3 run to go up, 15-11, with 1:03 left. The Filipinas held off Mongolia the rest of the way to seal the upset.

Kennan Ka added three points, while Amyah Espanol and Victoria Pasilang chipped in two apiece for coach Anton Altamirano’s squad. Altamirano called Mongolia one of the top teams in the world and credited his players’ composure under pressure.

“The first game’s always the hardest, but we were able to really manage good possessions, especially when Kacey was down. We made really good stops to get the victory,” Altamirano said, also praising Dela Rosa’s toughness.

“She’s a tough girl. She’s been through stuff like this. It’s a testament to her character and mental toughness,” he added, reflecting on Dela Rosa’s quick recovery from the injury scare.

Gilas Women Eye Group C Crown Against Malaysia

Pasilang and Ka then took over in the rout of Macau, combining for 15 points as the Philippines pulled away early. Pasilang led the way with eight points, while Ka added seven.

Dela Rosa, given lighter minutes after her injury scare, still chipped in four points. Espanol rounded out the effort with an all-around line of two points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The 2-0 start for Gilas Women mirrors the unbeaten campaign of the Philippine men’s 3×3 team in Nagoya, giving the country twin storylines to follow in the sport. Both squads now eye deep runs into the knockout rounds.

Malaysia also finished opening day unbeaten, beating Macau, 14-3, and Mongolia, 17-11, to match the Philippines at 2-0. The Filipinas currently sit atop Group C on a superior point differential heading into Wednesday’s showdown.

A win over Malaysia would hand the Philippines the outright top seed and a direct ticket to the quarterfinals, bypassing the play-ins entirely. The Gilas Women will look to carry their opening-day momentum into the pivotal matchup.