By MARK REY MONTEJO
Ateneo’s Kacey Dela Rosa and National University’s Cielo Pagdulagan bannered women’s basketball mythical team to be feted during the 2025 San Miguel Corporation-Collegiate Press Corps (SMC-CPC) Awards Night at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas, Pasig Monday, June 30.
Joining the two are Kent Pastrana, Elaine Etang and Louna Ozar after they also making head turns in the UAAP women’s basketball tournament.
The 6-foot Dela Rosa stood out in Season 87 where she normed 22.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 blocks per contest for the Blue Eagles to snare her second straight MVP award, inserting her name in an elite group of five – including national team member and former NU star Afril Bernardino – which also achieved the same feat.
She also became the second Atenean to accomplish such a rare honor next to Cassy Tioseco who won the highest individual plum in Season 69 and 70. It made Ateneo the only school to produce two back-to-back MVPs.
Pagdulagan, for her part, was nothing but impressive in her debut as she bagged the Rookie of Year — fourth Lady Bulldog alongside Jack Animam in 2015, Ria Nabalan (2014) and Gemma Miranda (2011) — and led the unblemished NU (14-0) in its title redemption bid against the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses In that series.
The 20-year-old hotshot averaged 15.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.67 assists, and 1.67 steals – enough to take home the Finals MVP trophy and helped UAAP Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year Aris Dimaunahan and the Lady Bulldogs reclaim the crown.
Pastrana, meanwhile, is a UAAP Mythical Five member from 2023 to 2024 and last year’s inaugural CPC’s female best cager honoree and was a vital cog to UST’s rise this year. She was second in the MVP race followed by Ozar who 12.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists
Etang, on the other hand, powered Adamson to a 9-5 record while averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per contest.
