REIGNING UAAP Season 88 juniors women’s basketball champion UST Junior Growling Tigresses will represent the Philippines in the girls’ division of the 2026 NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore this month.
The tournament, to be held from June 23 to 28 at the OCBC Arena will feature 12 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams from across the Asia-Pacific region, with squads competing in a round-robin format before advancing to the single-elimination semifinals and finals.
UST will battle fellow girls’ teams from the Asia-Pacific field of Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Australia, Singapore and Chinese Taipei.
Far Eastern University-Diliman High School will carry the country’s hopes in the boys’ division.
Adding star power to the event is a lineup of NBA and WNBA personalities led by Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, NBA champion and Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond, former NBA champion Jeremy Lin and WNBA legend Lauren Jackson.
The basketball icons are set to engage with participating athletes and fans through meet-and-greet sessions, a coaches clinic on June 24 and community outreach programs presented by the Karim Family Foundation.
Among the featured activities are the Her Time to Play clinic and leadership panel, along with Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA clinics scheduled from June 26 to 28.
The NBA will likewise host free fan zones in Singapore ahead of and throughout the tournament. The first will be held at Bugis Junction from June 10 to 14, followed by another at Kallang Wave Mall from June 16 to 28. F – Mc Neil Zyh Serrano
