Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

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.^[1] The Pinay Ballers League followed in 2014 which gained the support of the Philippine Sports Commission.^[2] 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.^[3][4]

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.^[5][6]

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.^[7][8][9]

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.^[10][11][12]

Quadricentennial Pavilion (left) hosted the WMPBL's first games during the 2025 Invitational on January 19. Rizal Memorial Coliseum (right) hosted the league's first games as a pro league on June 29, 2025.

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.^[13][14] 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.^[15][16]

The league's first professional season started on June 29, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.^[17] 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.^[18] New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas won the season.^[19]

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".^[20][21]

Current teams

Future teams

Invitational teams

The following teams took part in the Invitational tournament, preceding the 2025 season.^[11][12]

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.^[18] 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.^[22]