Basketball wasn’t just something Jessyka Maliksi picked up — it was part of her family rhythm. Her dad, her brother, the tournaments she tagged along to as a kid — it all built into something bigger. Something she never let go of.
Like many young Filipino girls, Jessyka once juggled dance, piano, even singing lessons. But by grade five, she dropped everything else to chase one thing: the game. By high school, she was all in — putting in the extra hours, stepping into rep teams, and proving herself on the court.
But growing up in a male-dominated sport wasn’t easy. She heard the compliments with asterisks: “You’re good — for a girl.” That small phrase lit a fire in her. She didn’t want to be good “for a girl.” She just wanted to be good.
Jessyka kept showing up. Not just as a player, but as a voice. She became a loud advocate for girls in sports — not just basketball, but all fields. She’s taken sport management in college and dreams of working in professional women’s leagues. Maybe even helping launch Toronto’s first-ever WNBA team.
For Jessyka, the goal is bigger than trophies. It’s about representation. It’s about the little girls who now grow up seeing women not just playing, but coaching, reporting, leading, winning.
Women’s basketball, she says, is all grit. Every game is a fight. Every player on that court leaves everything on it. And finally, the world is paying attention.
Jessyka Maliksi isn’t waiting for permission. She’s part of a generation rewriting the game — one rebound, one hustle, one voice at a time.
