Reyes ups ante in blooming basketball career


At a glance

  • Only 14, five-foot-11 and growing, Reyes has sports running in her veins—her dad is 6-foot-7 Jay-R Reyes who played a significant 14 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association after dominating the shade for Letran and University of the Philippines, while her mom, Jen or Jennifer, donned the national volleyball team colors.


Tiffany Anne Ablan Reyes is in the US pursuing a college scholarship and, equally as precious, get better—if not the best—in the sport she and her family loves, basketball.

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TIFFANY ANNE ABLAN REYES with Coach Dante Harlan.

“I’m working and training under Coach Dante Harlan for about three months now here in the US,” Reyes said. “It is great to learn and experience a lot of things and improve everyday to pursue my goals and be the best.”

Only 14, five-foot-11 and growing, Reyes has sports running in her veins—her dad is 6-foot-7 Jay-R Reyes who played a significant 14 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association after dominating the shade for Letran and University of the Philippines, while her mom, Jen or Jennifer, donned the national volleyball team colors.

Her elder brother, Tyler, is also carving a basketball career and are together in Cincinnati training under Harlan as well as coach Christopher Thomas.

Harlan has a reputable US NCAA Division I career highlighted by 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Angels and once handled Kai Sotto, Jack Animam and Sage Tolentino, while One World Dominator founder Thomas’s been a professional coach for more than 20 years and made remarkable rounds in the European leagues.

Reyes already made her mark at a ripe age—she’s one of the reliables in the Gilas Pilipinas Under-18 program, having played in the Southeast Asia Basketball Association in Thailand last May where the Philippines was unblemished in three games.

Reyes averaged 6.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in her second stint at Gilas in the FIBA U-18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B last June in China where they again swept their four games to top the division.

“It feels great to play for my country’s team at only 13,” said Reyes, who turned 14 only last September 24. “I would love to be part of that again to play for Gilas and represent the Philippines and that would be an honor.”

Coach Ivan Fulton also monitors Reyes’s performance and conditioning at the Athletic Republic in her bid to play in the US NCAA.

“I’m eyeing to get a college scholarship offer here in the US and play in the NCAA someday,” said the great fan of Golden State Warriors top gun Stephen Curry. “When we trained here last summer, I had the opportunity to attend some basketball camps and there were coaches from different colleges talking to my parents.”