Gabriela Jaquez

Gabriela Jaquez
Jaquez with the Chicago Sky in 2026
No. 11 – Chicago Sky
PositionGuard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2003-11-19) November 19, 2003
Irvine, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
High schoolCamarillo (Camarillo, California)
CollegeUCLA (2022–2026)
WNBA draft2026: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Drafted byChicago Sky
Playing career2026–present
Career history
2026–presentChicago Sky
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference 

Gabriela Raquel Jaquez (born November 19, 2003) is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, winning a national championship in 2026.

High school career

Jaquez played basketball for Adolfo Camarillo High School in Camarillo, California. As a senior, she averaged 34.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game and was named Ventura County Star Player of the Year.[1] Jaquez shared most valuable player honors in the McDonald's All-American Game with her future college teammate Kiki Rice.[2] Rated a five-star recruit,[3] she committed to play college basketball for UCLA over offers from Utah, Oklahoma, Washington State, and USC, among other programs.[4]

College career

Predicting she would play at UCLA since writing it down in third grade[5], Jaquez had a notable career, being part of four teams that played in the NCAA tournament.[6]

As a freshman at UCLA, Jaquez averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.[7] On November 12, 2023, she scored a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in a 113–64 win over Bellarmine.[8] In her sophomore season, Jaquez averaged 10 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She joined the UCLA softball team in the 2024 NCAA tournament, having previously played the sport in high school.[9] Nicknamed by the Bruins "All Gas Gabs" for her hustle,[10] Jaquez scored a run in her collegiate softball debut during the NCAA super regional.

In her junior season, she was a starter and key player for the 2024–25 Bruins team. This was the first Bruins team to advance to the NCAA Final Four, where the team lost to the eventual national champion UConn.

She was a starter for their Big Ten champion team in 2025–26 in her senior season.[11] In the 2026 national championship game, Jaquez had a double-double with a game-high 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 79–51 victory over South Carolina.[12][13][14] She was voted to the Final Four all-tournament team.[15] At 124 wins, she has the most of any player in UCLA program history.[16]

Professional career

On April 13, 2026, the Chicago Sky selected Jaquez as the fifth overall pick of the 2026 WNBA draft.[17]

National team career

In August 2024, Jaquez made her debut for the Mexico women's national basketball team during 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup pre-qualification.[18]

Personal life

Jaquez is the daughter of Angela and Jaime Sr., who both played basketball at Concordia University. Her paternal grandfather, Ezequiel, came to California with his family from Mexico as a child and played basketball at Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University). Her older brother, Jaime Jr., plays in the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks and competed for the UCLA men's team in college.[19]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2022–23 UCLA 37217.445.534.063.23.50.60.90.10.96.3
2023–24 UCLA 34625.247.825.971.35.61.60.60.11.410.0
2024–25 UCLA 363326.752.334.882.65.32.20.60.10.99.6
2025–26 UCLA 383830.453.939.086.05.52.11.10.11.813.5
Career 1457925.050.434.176.85.01.60.80.11.39.9
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Ledin, Loren (March 25, 2022). "Camarillo's Gabriela Jaquez is The Star's Girls Basketball Player of the Year for 2021-22". Ventura County Star. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  2. ↑ "UCLA recruits Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez share MVP honors at McDonald's All American Game". ESPN. Associated Press. March 29, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Gabriela Jaquez 2022 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  4. ↑ Connon, Sam (July 30, 2021). "Gabriela Jaquez, sister of Jaime, commits to UCLA women's basketball". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  5. ↑ Swanson, Mirjam - Gabriela Jaquez achieves the UCLA championship she always dreamed of. Los Angeles Times, April 6, 2026
  6. ↑ UCLA women's basketball roster - Gabriela Jaquez. uclabruins.com, October 2025
  7. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (November 5, 2023). "How will UCLA women's basketball respond to expectations?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Gabriela Jaquez scores 30 in UCLA's blowout win over Bellarmine". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 12, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  9. ↑ Sawyer, Haley (May 14, 2024). "UCLA softball adds basketball player Gabriela Jaquez to roster". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi - Why UCLA basketball star Gabriela Jaquez joined the Bruins’ softball team. Los Angeles Times, MAy 29, 2024
  11. ↑ Ingemi, Marisa - How Gabriela Jaquez became a breakout shooting star for No. 2 UCLA. Los Angeles Times, March 15, 2026
  12. ↑ Ingemi, Marisa - UCLA crushes South Carolina to win NCAA women’s basketball national championship. Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2026
  13. ↑ McManaman, Bob (April 5, 2026). "Lauren Betts, UCLA Bruins 'dream chasers' take 1st NCAA title". Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  14. ↑ Barry, Nathan - How Jaquez's Stellar Play Led UCLA to National Title. Sports Illustrated, April 7, 2026
  15. ↑ Jackson, Gabriel - UCLA captures 2026 DI women's basketball championship with dominant win over South Carolina - All-Tournament team announced. NCAA, April 5, 2026
  16. ↑ Massimino, Dominic - Gabriela Jaquez is the star of UCLA's championship victory. Ventura County Star, April 5, 2026
  17. ↑ Feinberg, Doug (April 13, 2026). "Dallas Wings select Azzi Fudd of UConn No. 1 in WNBA draft with a $500,000 payday waiting". Associated Press. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Jaquez to Represent Mexico at FIBA 2026 World Cup Pre-Qualifier". UCLA Athletics. August 16, 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  19. ↑ Medcalf, Myron (March 3, 2023). "The third-generation basketball legacy of UCLA's Gabriela and Jaime Jaquez Jr". ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Gabriela Jaquez College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
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