UP rookie Nolasco thrilled to reinforce resurgent Maroons in UAAP 87

MANILA, Philippines – Blue-chip recruit Camille Nolasco expressed her excitement in joining forces with a resurgent UP Fighting Maroons program in the UAAP Season 87 women’s basketball tournament happening later this year.

The Miriam College product is heading to UP just one season removed from a breakthrough Final Four appearance, when they finished third in Season 86, under the tutelage of head coach Paul Ramos.

Nolasco, who committed to the Diliman-based team early, said she was looking forward to helping the team achieve even more in her rookie season.

“Sobrang excited; especially coming from a great season yung UP. Before the season last year, they weren’t able to make the Final Four and sobrang happy and excited lang ako to play with Favour [Onoh], and especially si Louna [Ozar], one of my closest [friends] sa Gilas U-18,” Nolasco told Philstar.com. 

“[H]appy lang ako and very excited and looking forward to playing with the team,” she added.

The highly touted recruit, who has also seen action with the national team, will be reinforcing the Maroons, who are led by Season 86 Rookie of the Year Onoh and Filipino-French Ozar, who have been a dangerous 1-2 punch for Coach Ramos last year.

But more than their skills, Nolasco praised her new team for how they treated her as early as when she made her commitment public in 2023.

“Actually, the very first time na I got to train with UP, I felt home talaga. Grabe yung pakikitungo nila sa akin na hindi nila pina-feel na iba ako sa team and yun, nagustuhan ko yun and I’m just very excited to play with them,” she said.

As for all the outside noise, being one of women’s basketball’s biggest rising stars, Nolasco stays focused on herself and what she can do for the team.

Instead of listening to the outside noise and hype around her, she’s working on doing her best.

“There will always be pressure pero iniisip ko na I love this game, so yun, ang iniisip ko always give my very best lang at the end of the day,” she said.