Akari crushes Caloocan for share of WMPBL lead

Akari delivered a commanding statement performance, dismantling a skidding Caloocan side, 100-65, to seize a share of the early lead in the 2026 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Wednesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Behind the quartet of Shemiah Abatayo, Raiza Palmera-Dy, Allana Lim, and Mar Prado, the Sparks dictated the tempo from the opening tip and never looked back, cruising to a 35-point victory that lifted them to 2-0, tied with Biñan-Tatak Gel atop the standings.

(C) WMPBL Images

“Well, happy with the mindset ng players ko. We did not take Caloocan for granted, ‘di kami nag easy-easy. We played hard, we came out ready to play them,” said Akari head coach Derrick Pumaren.

“That was what I was telling them. We have to come out ready to play this time, hindi namin pwedeng easy-easy and give them confidence. We wanted to take away their confidence right away,” he added.

Abatayo led the way with a game-high 19 points built on five triples, alongside eight assists and two steals, while Palmera-Dy added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, with five assists and two rebounds.

Lim contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists off the bench, while Prado completed the double-digit scorers for Akari with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Akari set the tone early against the Lady Kankaloo, unloading a blistering 27-10 start in the opening quarter and never relinquishing control. The Sparks pushed the lead to as high as 45 points, 85-40, after a Lim layup with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

(C) WMPBL Images

Janine Pontejos continued to struggle for Caloocan, finishing with 15 points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field, though she converted 10-of-12 from the foul line, while also committing eight turnovers.

Sofia Felisarta added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Kankaloo, who absorbed their third consecutive loss to start the tournament backed by Aktive, while Joan Camagong chipped in 11 points.

The Scores:

Akari 100 – Abatayo 19, Palmera-Dy 16, Lim 14, Prado 11, Candelario 8, Sambile 6, Ventura 6, Anies 5, Angeles 5, Nagma 4, Villasin 2, Galicia 2, Del Prado 2, Flor 0

Caloocan 65 – Pontejos 15, Felisarta 13, Camagong 11, Tolentino 8, Adlawan 6, Pedregosa 6, Candido 3, Tan 3, Capilit 0, Sison 0, Galgerra 0, Gonzalo 0, Serrano 0, Madrid 0, Marcos 0

Quarterscores: 27-10, 54-22, 85-40, 100-65.