SHENZHEN, China — Before she takes the court in an Irish uniform for the first time, Notre Dame graduate transfer guard Vanessa de Jesus will compete for the Philippines Women’s National Team, or Gilas Philipinas, at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.
“It means everything to me,” de Jesus said of being able to represent her heritage. “My family is a huge part of me and growing up and a big part of why I play basketball. To be able to represent them on a national level is very important to me.”
Competition at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, China will begin on July 13. First up, the Philippines will play Australia.
The 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup will be the second time de Jesus has represented her country on the basketball court. A native of Valencia, Calif., she competed at the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, scoring 18.3 points per game during group play. Along the way, the point guard helped lead the Philippines to its first win in group play since 2015.
“I think one of the ways I’ve grown is in my relentlessness and the urgency of time and [being] present,” de Jesus said. “I think we’ve really grown as a program, myself, but also the Philippines team, and I think now is the time to really show it and not wait for the future.
“For me, it’s coming in with the mentality of the present and being ready to compete now and helping us win now.”
Overall during the competition, de Jesus averaged 12.8 points and 3.2 assists per contest.
Full information on the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup can be found here.