MANILA – Ilonggas Shanna Mae Latoza and Mary Krista Roberto, Bacolodnon Fille Claudine Cainglet, and Guimarasnon Shellyn Bilbao are among the 115 aspirants in the first-ever Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) rookie draft today.
Latoza, who hails from Lambunao, Iloilo, was a former standout of West Visayas State University, while the Molo, Iloilo City-native Roberto played for the University of San Agustin.
The Bacolod City-native Cainglet, meanwhile, was a former star of the University of the Philippines’ Women’s Basketball Team and Bilbao was a former center of the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Unlike the other rookie drafts, WNBL has a different setup where each team is allowed to protect a select number of players before adding more to their rosters from the draft list.
Glutagence Glow Boosters chose to protect three players and were granted 12 picks while Stan Quezon Lady Spartan opted to protect five players which gave them ten picks.
Pacific Water Queens protected six players, giving them nine picks while WNBL original Paranaque Lady Aces had seven players protected which allowed the team to have eight selections.
The guest team, Go for Gold-Philippine Navy Lady Sailors were not part of the virtual draft since all of their players must be enlisted armed forces members.
Around 200 female basketball players submitted their application and only 115 were qualified for the rookie draft that took part in December last year./PN
