A year wiser, Ava Fajardo embraces bigger role for Team Pilipinas

AMMAN (Jordan) - Ava Fajardo waited for this moment.

For a year, it was all that she thought of and prepared for.

The Philippines booked the first ticket to the FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship 2023- Division B Semi-Finals after sweeping all three of their assignments in the Group Phase in dominant fashion, marking their flight to the said stage for the second consecutive time.

It is exactly what the 15-year-old wanted. For her, it's not simply a return trip to the Semis. An opportunity to atone for the heartbreak she and her batch suffered in the previous U16 competitions also held at the Jordanian capital lies ahead, and she's keen on seizing that.

"Personally, I waited a year to prepare and have this chance to play again and represent our country. This is our redemption tour," said Fajardo. "We are fortunate to be given another shot at this and build upon our experience last year. We will make sure to handle our business."

The Gilas Girls, looking back, were the favorites to rule Division B of the 2022 edition after finishing the group stage unblemished with a 3-0 record. Doing so brought them straight into the Semis, and the path to the top has seemingly become easier since they're two wins away from it.

But in a shocking twist, they lost to Samoa via blowout, 88-73. They lost to a team they previously beat in pool play and had to go through the wringer to reach that point - the Samoans, who were only third in Group A, had to endure Kazakhstan in the Qualification to Semis to make it.

The Philippines still salvaged a third-place finish, but that hardly made up for that crushing loss in the Semis knowing they were only a few steps away from winning the division. But then, fate had other plans, as the team who spoiled their plans went on to earn the Division A promotion.

"I believe offensively we were not hitting our usual shots, and we did not adjust our defense accordingly to make up for it," recalled Fajardo.

Now, they're in the very same position once again. And so, Fajardo is taking it upon herself to help in giving constant reminders to the team's newcomers to keep their toes on the ground and simply focus on the task at hand so as to not witness any repeat of last year's letdown.

"As one of the leaders of the team, I make sure that each one of us are all on the same page and with one goal. I remind them that the job is yet to be finished," said the younger sister of Gilas Women mainstay Ella. "Everyone on this team can play. We trust and motivate each other."

Leadership has been a role that Fajardo has embraced in the ongoing tournament, something that should bode well for her moving forward as she's viewed to be a part of the program for the long haul. Aside from being vocal, she's also been leading by example, and her numbers could speak for it.

So far, the guard from New Jersey is averaging a tournament fourth-best 16.3 points on 45.5-percent accuracy from the field, on top of 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 steals, Those figures are a huge jump from last year, where she only had 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

She may have outdone her 2022 run but it has helped her a lot, said Ava.

"I am very thankful to my coaches and teammates for trusting me to contribute to the team’s success. The experience that I had last year has definitely contributed a lot to my confidence on the court, especially being the veteran this year," she offered.

But then, it's not always about personal glory for the 1.63 M (5'4") floor general. As solid as she has been performing, the goal remains the same for Fajardo and the rest of the Philippine team, and they all want to lock in on it as much as they can until it's achieved.

"I believe our team has what it takes to get that Division A promotion this year! We have the right pieces to be successful," she said. "We are very focused on our goal, and we trust each other’s abilities."

FIBA