The Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) is a women's professional basketball league in the Philippines consisting of six teams. It serves as the women's counterpart of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
The league launched in November 2024 by boxing legend and former Senator Manny Pacquiao and is the fourth league to bear the Maharlika Pilipinas name. The WMPBL first began play as an amateur league in January 2025 with an invitational tournament. The league then turned pro in April, becoming the second women's basketball league in the country to do so, after the Women's National Basketball League. Its first pro season then began in June.
History
Previous attempts
There have been multiple attempts at establishing a women's professional basketball league in the Philippines prior to the WMPBL. The first was the Women's Philippine Basketball League, which ran from 1998 to 1999, and again in 2008. The Pinay Ballers League followed in 2014 which gained the support of the Philippine Sports Commission. Additionally, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) hosted women's 3x3 basketball on two separate occasions, the first from 2015 to 2016 and the second in 2024.
The first of these leagues to gain professional status was the Women's National Basketball League, which was established in 2019 and turned professional a year later. At the time of the WMPBL's establishment, its most recent season was held in 2022.NBL women’s league fires off this weekend, Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Business World Online, April 5, 2019 First women’s pro league in Philippines gets GAB nod, Joey Villar, The Philippine Star, August 26, 2020
Establishment and launch
Following the success of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, Manny Pacquiao expanded on its grassroots format by creating new leagues under the Maharlika Pilipinas name. After the launch of the Junior MPBL in June 2023, Pacquiao founded the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association in October that year, the first to feature female athletes. Reports of a direct women's counterpart were first published in October 2024, when Haydee Ong, head coach of the UST Growling Tigresses basketball team, accepted an offer to become the league's inaugural commissioner.
The league formally launched on November 24, 2024 at the Winford Hotel in Manila, with Ong stating that "women's basketball now has evolved into a more exciting brand compared to the previous era", alluding to the Caitlin Clark effect seen in the United States. Although the league initially targeted eight to ten teams for the start of league play, fourteen ended up turning in. The league would begin as an amateur league for the Invitational Tournament before transitioning to professional status by mid-2025, during which it is expected to run its first full season.
The league began play with the Invitational Tournament on January 19, 2025 at the Quadricentennial Pavilion on the campus of the University of Santo Tomas in Sampaloc, Manila. It concluded on April 23 with the Pilipinas Aguilas defeating the UST Growling Tigresses. The next day, the league announced its transition to a professional league.
The league's first professional season started on June 29, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Five out of fourteen Invitational teams remained, now with a location attached to each. An expansion team, RK Hoops–Quezon City was also added, bringing the league to six teams. New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas won the season.
Ahead of the second professional season in 2026, key officials of the WMPBL resigned from their role ledy by Haydee Ong due to "irreconciliable differences".
Teams The inaugural professional WMPBL season features six teams, all based in Luzon. Calabarzon has the most teams out of any region with three followed by Metro Manila with two and the Ilocos Region with one.
Current teams + Overview of WMPBL teams Team Location Joined Head coach Akari Sparks Rizal 2025 Derrick Pumaren Batangas New Zealand Bluefire Batangas 2025 Biñan Tatak Gel Angels Biñan, Laguna 2026 Jack Azcueta Caloocan Lady Kankaloo Caloocan 2026 JP Bernal RK Hoops–Quezon City Quezon City 2025 Jon Cobarrubias Pasig Queenpin Pasig 2026 Kyle Umengan
Future teams Team Location Joining Parañaque WMPBL team Parañaque 2027
Invitational teams The following teams took part in the Invitational tournament, preceding the 2025 season.
Team Affiliation CEU Lady Scorpions Centro Escolar University EZ Jersey–Relentless EZ Jersey Relentless Basketball FEU Lady Tamaraws Far Eastern University Galeries Tower Skyrisers Galeries Tower Imus Lady Magdalo Imus, Cavite Philippine Navy Lady Sailors Philippine Navy Pilipinas Aguilas PSP Gymers PSP Fitness Gym UST Growling Tigresses University of Santo Tomas
Former teams Team Locality First season Last season Pangasinan Solar Home Suns Pangasinan 2025 2025 San Juan DN Steel Lady Knights San Juan 2025 2025 Tagaytay 'Tol Patriots Tagaytay, Cavite 2025 2025
Roster regulations All players on team rosters must be at least 21 years old. Teams will also be able to have one import and up to two Filipino-foreigner players. In addition, each team is limited to two players who play for the Philippines women's national basketball team.
Season format 2025 All six teams compete in a double round-robin tournament. Each team plays two games against all other teams, for a total of ten games. All teams automatically advance to the playoffs, but their ranking in the regular season standings determine where their placement in the bracket. The top two teams will start at the semifinals while the third- and fourth-place teams will hold twice-to-beat advantage over the fifth- and sixth-place teams in the quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals are best-of-three series.
Invitational The league divides the teams into two groups: Group A and Group B. Each team will play one game against each team from the opposing group, for a total of seven games for each team. The top four teams in each group will advance to the playoffs, with the top two earning twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals will both be best-of-three series.
Championships Team Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost Batangas New Zealand Bluefire 1 1 2 2025 2026 Pilipinas Aguilas 1 0 1 2025 (Inv.) — Akari Sparks Rizal 1 0 1 2026 — Discovery–Perlas 0 1 1 — 2025 UST Growling Tigresses 0 1 1 — 2025 (Inv.)
Media The WMPBL's current broadcast partner is Solar Entertainment Corporation under Solar Sports. The network currently airs the games on Wednesdays and Sundays. Similar to other Maharlika Pilipinas leagues, all games are also streamed on the league's social media channels. During the Invitational Tournament, the league's broadcast partner was the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), which previously broadcast the 2021 MPBL Invitational. Commissioners No. Commissioner Tenure From To 1 2 incumbent
See also Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League – the league's men's counterpart Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association – the league's volleyball counterpart
References