Sumayah Sugapong

Sumayah Sugapong was born on December 1, 2005 in San Diego, California, to Nada and Gino Sugapong. She has younger three sisters single younger brother.^[1][2] She initially took up soccer in her childhood but was convinced to focus on basketball by her eventual high school teammate Naomi Panganiban.^[3] They have been childhood friends since they first met in a basketball club in elementary school.^[4]

She studied at the La Jolla Country Day School for high school.^[5] She later attended Sixth College before moving to the University of California, San Diego, in 2023.^[2][3] In 2025, she committed to move to the University of Arizona^[6]

Sugapong played for the UC San Diego Tritons in her first two years of college.^[3] She later moved to the Arizona Wildcats.^[6]

Sugapong has played for the Philippine national team. She played for the under-18 girls team at the 2022 FIBA U18 Women's Asian Championship^[7] She later suited up for the senior team at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup and the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in France.^[8]