Written by Akari Sports Staff
AKARI-Rizal unseated Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire from the throne, 73-59, to capture the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League crown on Wednesday night at the Parañaque Coliseum.
The Sparks won the best-of-three series, 2-1, denying the Valkyries’ bid for back-to-back championships.
“Well, first of all, we’d like to thank the Lord for blessing us with this championship. My team truly deserves this. The players worked hard and sacrificed so much,” head coach Derrick Pumaren said after adding another title to his decorated coaching career.
“During halftime, I told them that the game is not over, that we have to play 20 more minutes. We cannot just play not to lose; we have to play to win. So we have to hand it to the girls—they fought hard,” Pumaren added.
Akari-Rizal seized the Finals opener, 92-88, behind Camille Sambile’s 19-point outing before Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire bounced back with a series-tying 83-60 victory.
Allana Lim was named Finals MVP after averaging 17.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the three-game championship series. She led the Sparks with 19 points and nine rebounds in the clincher.
Mar Prado also starred with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, along with three steals.
Raiza Palmera-Dy contributed nine points, nine assists, and five rebounds, while Jhenn Angeles also scored nine points. Pontejos added eight points, four assists, and three rebounds, while Sambile chipped in eight points and nine rebounds for Akari-Rizal.
The Sparks’ suffocating defense in the Finals decider ultimately proved to be the difference-maker, as the Valkyries struggled to establish any offensive rhythm throughout the game.
