WORDS by CEEJ TANTENGCO
When Camille Nolasco started playing basketball, boys told her to get off the court.
There weren’t any other girls in their neighborhood court, and the boys didn’t want her joining their team. But instead of backing down, she challenged them. It’s an experience no athlete should have to go through, yet it’s one that many Filipina ballers can speak to: being told to give up, and saying, not today.
Now 21 years old, Camille is one of the country’s most exciting collegiate players, who has represented the Philippines in international competitions, and played alongside WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu when she visited Manila.
One of her first big breaks was the 2023 SLAM Rising Stars. When the competition added a girls’ game, Camille was one of the first to be called up.
“I had always heard about the SLAM Rising Stars competition before. I’d see it on social media and it looked so fun. But it was always for men,” she says. “So when I got the call and found out that there would be one for the ladies, I knew it was a big opportunity for women ballers to showcase our talents.”
And showcase she did – returning for the 2024 edition and winning MVP.
“It meant a lot to me and helped me grow, because I was able to compete against the best high school players in the country,” she shares. “Now that I’m in seconnd year college already, looking back on the first Rising Stars, I’m still able to bring the lessons wherever I go.”
As a standout athlete for the University of the Philippines, Camille gets to play amid a new era for the UAAP. The era where women’s basketball is now regularly televised, and the level of competition rises is accelerating – arguably, even faster than the men’s tournament, which has long had the investment and support that is now pouring into the women’s tournament.
While the Fighting Maroons are still in the process of building towards contender status, Camille gets to put her resilience and grit to the test alongside Gilas Pilipinas’ Louna Ozar, veteran player Kaye Pesquera, steady hand Shane Cunanan and more.
As a high school player, Camille once described herself as a proud underdog, and that mentality shines through to this day: “I still like being an underdog. Doon ‘yung times na you just want to prove people wrong and show that we’re part of the show, too.”
After all, Camille knows progress isn’t a straight line. Progress is the process.
“There will always be room for improvement, there’s always room for growth. There’s still more that we can show in the upcoming years. Women’s basketball will continue to grow and I believe it’ll only go up from here,” she says.
You can read Camille’s hope on her face. An easy smile. Joy in her voice. If she can see this bright future so clearly, it’s because she has tasted it.
WNBA legend Sue Bird visited the Philippines in 2024, making her entrance in The Courtyard to bleachers full of women’s basketball fans positively vibrating with excitement. Camille was on the court for a shootaround organized by Nike, acutely aware of how surreal the moment was. Sue gave her a high five and signed her shoes.
Less than a year later, she was playing alongside Sabrina Ionescu in the Araneta Coliseum for a special exhibition game. An arena full of women’s basketball fans, passing the ball to one of the biggest WNBA stars, a court where she belonged.
“When I was able to meet Sabrina Ionescu and Sue Bird, super sarap sa pakiramdam! That meant a lot to me because those players are the ones I look up to. I try to copy their moves and playing styles,” Camille gushes. “Seeing them up close inspires me to be a better player and person. A better version of myself.”
Her mantra: Never take opportunities for granted. “You don’t always get chances [as a woman], so when they come, you have to make the most of it,” she shares. “But at the same time, don’t forget to have fun!”
Camille has come a long way from that kid who the boys tried to kick out of the court.
“Proving people wrong feels good. I’ve seen how much women’s basketball in the Philippines has grown, though I’m not yet fully satisfied because there’s still more that we have to prove, she says. “Siyempre, I want people to see that basketball isn’t just for boys. Na ma-accept na ng society na it’s for girls too,” she says.”
The future is bright, but it’s still taking shape. Whatever her career ends up looking like, Camille hopes it proves one thing: “That Filipina basketball players play with heart. And that when we step on the court, we never give up.”
