From a local San Diego court to the big stage: Rising Gilas star Naomi Panganiban is primed to shine

Repping the flag, donning the national colors, and pretty much shouting to the world that she's a Filipina — all these were once just a childhood dream for Naomi Panganiban.

Now, she's living in it. And she's planning to do it for as long as she can.

How it all started

Basketball was deeply ingrained in Panganiban's blood.

Witnessing her older sister Jasmine and father Jonathan play the sport in her younger days in their hometown San Diego, California, it didn't take long for the Filipina-American to develop an interest for the sport as well.

She would eventually join her sister in a local recreational court near their house to play hoops and before she knew it, she'd already fallen in love with basketball. And what started as only her way to bond with her sister turned out as a new-found passion for then aspiring Panganiban.

"She played in high school too and I just grew up watching her so I just wanted to copy her," Panganiban told GMA News Online in an interview.

"I would say her and my dad [are the biggest influence in my basketball career]. He just always instilled playing basketball because he also played basketball so he just wanted to play with me and my sister. He continued that through us."

Ever since then, Panganiban has never left the game.

Panganiban, whose Filipino parents were born and raised in the States, suited up for La Jolla Country Day in San Diego for high school and it was there that her love of basketball further ignited.

She and her teammates would regularly meet Kelsey Plum — an alumna of the same school and is currently one of the stars for both WNBA team Las Vegas Aces and the USA national team, which recently won its eighth straight Olympic gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Plum often visits La Jolla to issue an assist, sharing pieces of wisdom to the young generations who are also hoping to make it big someday.

"I’ve met her because she used to go to my high school in the States so she always visits us and gives advice and it’s just super cool to see her," Panganiban, who also looks up to other famous point guards like Sue Bird and Sabrina Ionescu, added.

"She told our whole team that nothing’s gonna come easy, you have to work hard for it and just enjoy the journey."

Up to this date, Panganiban still carries with her all the learnings from her dad, sister, Plum, and just everyone who paved the way for her budding basketball career.

How it's going

In 2022, Panganiban finally got her Gilas Pilipinas break.

Gilas Pilipinas Women head coach Patrick Aquino was in the US at the time and was scouting for talents who could be the future faces of the national team program. The decorated and seasoned tactician would then chance upon a number of young hopefuls, which included Panganiban.

Panganiban first joined the Gilas Pilipinas Girls U16 team and got her baptism of fire during the U16 FIBA Women's Asian Championship, where the Philippines plucked the bronze. Panganiban impressed as the fifth best scorer overall, posting 14.6 points alongside 6.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.  

Just recently, she made a splash with the U18 team. The 18-year-old guard was at the forefront of Gilas Girls as they dominated the 2024 FIBA U18 Asia Cup Division B, sweeping it altogether to earn the title and a coveted Division A promotion.

"It’s been a dream of mine ever since I started playing basketball, to be able to represent being a Filipino and to be able to play for the national team is just fulfilling," the 5-foot-7 court general said.

"I want to play for the national team for as long as I can and to give the Philippines the exposure we deserve and show everybody that we belong on the big stage."

She will once again don the national colors, this time at the biggest tournament of her young career.

Panganiban is part of the Gilas Pilipinas Women's roster that will compete in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament from August 19 to 25 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Filipinas are bunched in Group C with some powerhouse teams in world no. 8 Brazil, no. 16 Hungary, and no. 25 Senegal. The world no. 40 Gilas Women will need to finish in the top-two to secure a semis ticket.

But Panganiban, the youngest in the crew, said they are confident they can compete against the best of the best.

"I feel a little bit of pressure but not as much. We know what we’re capable of and we just need to go with the flow and just play with confidence," she said.

"I don’t really feel that much pressure because I think we’re gonna really show people that we can compete."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News