Elizabeth Means is set for her national team debut on Thursday when Gilas Pilipinas opens its women’s basketball 5-on-5 campaign in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games minus some notable names.
Means, whose naturalization was completed a few months earlier, will be a prominent figure for Gilas in the 3 p.m. matchup (Manila time) with Kazakhstan at Aichi International Arena.
Gilas, however, won’t have the likes of Jack Animam, Vanessa de Jesus, Sophia Dignadice and Kacey dela Rosa for the Asiad, which will be the second tournament of new coach BT Toews.
While Dela Rosa will be in Japan for the Games, she has been placed in the women’s U-23 3×3 competitions.
The absence of Animam and Dela Rosa leaves Gilas without two main frontcourt players for its bid to improve on a quarterfinal finish in Hangzhou, China, three years ago.
Gilas will have some familiar names in Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, Stefanie Berberabe and Camille Clarin, along with Monique del Carmen, Angel Surada, Karl Ann Pingol, Kent Pastrana, Jhaz Joson, Camille Malagar and Hazelle Yam.
It’s almost a completely different roster from the one Toews had in the recent Fiba Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, when it fell short of advancing to the semifinals with a 1-2 record.
That tournament saw Animam, Dela Rosa and De Jesus in action for Gilas in Toews’ debut since taking over from longtime mentor Pat Aquino.
Toews will look to put Gilas in a position to once again get in the quarterfinals through Group B, which also has Japan and Hong Kong.
The top two teams and, possibly, the third-placer get to play in the quarters.
The 23-year-old Means will finally get to showcase her wares after undergoing the naturalization process that was completed in May when the bill lapsed into law.
It was only in July that Means was able to secure her Philippine passport, paving the way for her to represent the Philippines in international competitions.
Means was actually tapped for the women’s 3×3 program, but with the Asiad putting an age restriction on the half-court event, the door opened for the 6-footer to represent Gilas for the centerpiece competition.