Giants sign Filipino rising star Joson

A week out from the start of their season, the Northern Star Resources Goldfields Giants women’s team has bolstered their roster with the inclusion of Filipino player Jhazmin Joson. 

Joson has a wealth of basketball experience, firstly in the US playing high school basketball, before forgoing US college basketball options to return to the Philippines to study back home and play with the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP competition. 

Now, at just 24 years-of-age, Joson is one of the rising stars of Filipino basketball with numerous international representative duties with the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s National team under her belt in both traditional 5x5 and 3x3 competitions. 

She signed with the Giants late last week as she was heading off for national representative duties, competing in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup tournament in Singapore over the weekend, where her team won five games before bowing out in the quarter finals to finish sixth. 

Her experience with the Gilas Pilipinas has seen her compete across Asia and in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup held in Australia in 2023, where she went up against former Goldfields Giant women’s recruit Darcee Garbin who was playing for the Australian Opals as well as the other best teams in the region looking to secure Olympic qualification. Her tournament high of 15 points came in a qualification semi-final loss to New Zealand, as her team finished 6th for the tournament. 

Giants’ women’s head coach Jaymi Worthington said: 

“Jhazmin is a versatile shooting guard that has a quick shot release and high basketball IQ.

“Coming off her Asia Cup 3x3 tournament playing for the Phillipines, Jhazmin’s value is in creating for her teammates as well as being lethal from beyond the arc. 

“We are looking forward to welcoming Jhaz to the Goldfields and having her part of our squad.”  

She is due to arrive in Kalgoorlie-Boulder this week and the club is looking forward to seeing her out in Giants blue and gold very soon, representing the Goldfields region, as well as her country and Filipino basketball as a whole. 

The Giants’ opening games of the 2024 NBL1 season will be taking place on the 6th and 7th of April in Perth before their home opener on the 13th of April.