WARSAW (Poland) - Eight years after helping pioneer the Philippines’ first-ever women’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup team, Afril Bernardino is still here.
The game around her has changed. The spotlight surrounding women’s basketball has grown brighter. A new generation of players has emerged. But as Gilas Women prepares for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2026 in Warsaw, Bernardino remains at the heart of it all. She is the lone player from the historic 2018 squad in Bulacan still wearing the Philippine jersey on 3x3 basketball's biggest stage.
What makes that longevity remarkable is that Bernardino nearly walked away from 3x3 basketball altogether.
"Actually, I was going to plan to retire playing 3x3 already," Bernardino admitted. "But Coach Ryan Gregorio of the SBP spoke to me. He encouraged me to come back"
The conversation forced her to reflect on everything she had already achieved and what still remained unfinished.
"I have my achievements on basketball, but in 3x3, this is the main thing I’m lacking," she said. "And I hold it as a motivation and commitment to work hard."
That motivation has carried Bernardino through nearly a decade of representing the country, a journey that began far from bright arenas and international tournaments.
"When I was younger, there was no opportunity to play in a proper wooden court," Bernardino recalled of her childhood. "So in the place where I grew up, in the street basketball court, I played 3x3."
Long before the medals and milestones, there were street courts, outdoor games and an unwavering love for the game.
That love would eventually take her around the world wearing "Pilipinas" across her chest, which is a responsibility she still considers sacred every single time she steps on the floor.
"Of course, as a Pinay baller, my dream is to represent my country," Bernardino said. "Every time I represent it, I give my best. I give my 100% heart to play and represent the Philippines."
But Bernardino’s journey with Gilas Women was not built solely on triumphs. Before the Philippines became a respected force in women’s basketball and 3x3 basketball, there were painful setbacks that tested the resolve of players like her.
She still remembers the heartbreak of the Southeast Asian Games campaigns in 2015 and 2017, when the national team fell short against regional rivals.
"My first Southeast Asian Games, we lost against Indonesia," she said. "That game was heartbreaking. And then back in 2017, it happened again."
Those defeats became defining moments for a generation of players who stayed committed even when victories were scarce and support was limited.
Through it all, Bernardino continued showing up.
What fans often see are the tournaments, medals and international travel. What they rarely see are the sacrifices that come with sustaining a career at the highest level.
"In the basketball industry, others might think it’s easy," Bernardino said. "But for me, I have to practice once, twice a day just to improve myself."
The toughest sacrifices, however, have come away from basketball.
"There was even a time when my dad got sick," she shared. "He had a stroke recently... and then his second stroke was in February."
Separated from her family while carrying the demands of national team duties, Bernardino admitted there were moments when the emotional weight became overwhelming.
"I was so down," she said. "As if I didn’t know what to do."
But during those difficult moments, Bernardino leaned on the same source of strength that has sustained her throughout her career.
"My family is my strength."
Now, as she prepares for another World Cup appearance in Warsaw, Bernardino’s role within Gilas Women has evolved beyond simply producing points and rebounds. She has become a bridge between generations. Now, Bernardino carries the experiences of the program’s early struggles while helping guide younger players stepping onto the global stage for the first time.
And while the possibility of retirement looms somewhere in the future, Bernardino hopes the legacy she leaves behind extends far beyond statistics or medals.
"What I want them to learn from me is to believe in themselves," she said. "You should be able to do everything you want to do."
For Bernardino, belief has always been bigger than basketball itself. It means trusting teammates, trusting coaches and continuing to trust yourself even when others doubt you.
"They say it’s hard to believe, but you still have to believe," she said. "You have no choice but to believe."
From the street courts where she first learned the game to the world stage in Warsaw, Afril Bernardino continues choosing belief -- in herself, in her teammates and in the colors she has spent years proudly fighting for.
FIBA