The Gilas Pilipinas women’s team is facing a daunting task in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup which is set to kick off on June 29 to July 2 in Sydney, Australia.

Gilas Pilipinas women's team (FIBA Photo)

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The Filipinas were drawn into Group B where they will take on five-time champion Japan, Olympics bronze medalists Australia, and fellow rising force Chinese Taipei in the Group B.

Group A, meanwhile, features China, South Korea, New Zealand and Lebanon.

Gilas is looking to improve its seventh place finish from the last edition while also hoping to contend for the four tickets that are staked to the 2023 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

Easier said than done though as the Patrick Aquino-mentored squad is expected to thread the eye of the needle, needing to finish atop the standings to get an outright semifinals berth.

If not, Gilas will need to finish within the top 3 of the standings to advance to the crossover semis qualification round where they will take on either the No.2 or No. 3 teams in Group A.

The impending return of star center Jack Animam along with the new breeds of Fil-foreign players in the national team, which so far have shown promise with their second straight gold medal finish in the Southeast Asian Games, should come as a huge confidence-booster for Gilas heading into the match.

A pool led by veterans Afril Bernardino, Janine Pontejos and Clare Castro along with young guns Mai Loni Henson, Kristan Geyl Yumul and Louna Ozar are set to see action first in the Cambodia SEA games in May.