Jack Animam continues overseas journey, joins powerhouse Denso Iris in Japan

Jack Animam isn't done blazing a trail as the Gilas Pilipinas Women mainstay heads to another top division team, signing with the Denso Iris in the Women's Japan Basketball League for the upcoming season.

The 6-foot-4 national team center officially joined the Japanese club on Wednesday, adding another milestone for Philippine women's basketball and joining her seventh team abroad.

"I can’t wait to play for you and meet all of you at games. I hope you support as all the way. I’m excited to play for Denso Iris," Animam said in a statement.

The 26-year-old Animam brings with her a wealth of international experience after suiting up for various basketball clubs in Serbia, Australia, Taiwan, France, China, and Romania in just a span of four years.

She first strutted her stuff in Serbia with Radnicki Kragujevac in the First Women's Basketball League back in April 2021 before inking a deal with Toulouse Metropole Basket in the Ligue Feminine de Basketball (LFB) Division 1 in France in 2023.

?She also saw action for Wuhan Shengfan in Women's Chinese Basketball Association in China, Ringwood Hawks in Australia, and  with Romanian club FCC UAV Arad in Liga Nationala.

?Animam is also a key figure for Gilas Pilipinas Women, steering the Filipinas to a gallant sixth place finish at the recent 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup while also guiding a youthful core made up of Naomi Panganiban, Kacey Dela Rosa, and Ella Fajardo.  

Her latest journey now sees her in Japan with Denso, which was coming off a runner-up finish in the previous WJBL season. 

Denso was one win away from bagging the title after ruling the Game 3, 76-53, that sent them to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five finals affair against the Fujitsu Red Wave.

But the latter went on to win the next two games, capped by a 75-60 victory in Game 5, to capture its third overall title.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News