Rhenz Abando

College career

Abando began his college career at the Philippine College of Science and Technology in Pangasinan, where he played for two years under coach Chris Calaguio. He was then recruited by Aldin Ayo to join the UST Growling Tigers. After redshirting in 2018, he played in the PBA D-League with UST in 2019 and represented the team in the UAAP 3x3 basketball championship for Season 81. Following that tournament, Ateneo's Thirdy Ravena called him a threat to the league.

In UST's first game of UAAP Season 82, Abando attempted 15 three-pointers and made five, scoring 22 points. In the next game against UP, he recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals off the bench, earning the first Player of the Week award. Later in the season, he was benched by Coach Ayo because two UAAP schools were recruiting him mid-season, but he returned after reaffirming his commitment. Against La Salle, he made three consecutive threes in the fourth quarter to cut a ten-point deficit to one, but a potential game-tying three was ruled a two-pointer because his foot was on the line, and UST lost 80–79.

In the step-ladder semifinals, UST defeated FEU, then upset UP in two games despite UP having a twice-to-beat advantage. In the Finals, UST was swept by Ateneo. Abando averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and a team-high 1.3 blocks in 18 games, playing about 23 minutes per game off the bench.

Professional career

On June 28, 2022, Abando signed with Anyang KGC of the Korean Basketball League. He had planned to stay at Letran for his final year, but his performance against the Korean national team changed his mind. Coach Tan gave his blessing but noted that Anyang had not coordinated with the college. The contract was worth 237 million KRW (13.89 million PHP) for the first year.

In his KBL Cup debut on October 3, 2022, he scored two points on a dunk and missed his next six shots. He rebounded with 19 points in a win that sent Anyang to the semifinal. He missed the season opener due to hip soreness and made his regular-season debut on October 30, 2022, with six points and four rebounds in ten minutes. He then had a breakout game with 20 points, six blocks, and three rebounds against Wonju DB Promy, followed by 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks against Changwon LG Sakers.

He scored a career-high 30 points on five-of-seven three-point shooting against Seoul SK Knights, but Anyang lost by one. After a slump of five games with fewer than five points, he scored 15 against the Knights and then 20 points on seven-of-ten shooting against Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus. On January 15, 2023, he won the Slam Dunk Contest and, with RJ Abarrientos and SJ Belangel, the 3x3 All-Star Game. He helped Anyang win the 2023 EASL Champions Week pre-season tournament.

On March 10, he scored 28 points in a loss to Seoul Samsung Thunders. Anyang finished the regular season with the best record. In the playoffs, his minutes decreased, but Anyang reached the Finals. In Game 2 of the Finals, he had 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists; in Game 4, he posted a team-high 22 points with four triples, five rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal with no turnovers in over 35 minutes as a starter.

National team career

In 2022, Abando played for the Philippine national team in friendlies against Korea and in the third window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He was originally a reserve for the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup but was added after Dwight Ramos withdrew with shin splints; the team did not reach the quarterfinals. He was included in the 21-man pool for the 2023 FIBA World Cup and made the final 12-man lineup.

After limited minutes in his first game, he scored eight points with two blocks in 14 minutes against Italy. In a win over China, he led the locals with 14 points, five rebounds, one block, and one steal. In 2025, he was named to the national team pool for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup but could not practice with the team because he was competing at the 2025 Jones Cup.