Gabriela Jaquez has slowly emerged as a strong prospect for the 2026 WNBA draft after her team, the UCLA Bruins, won its first NCAA championship this year. Even though other guards, like Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd, have grabbed everyone’s attention, Jaquez could be a dark horse in this race.
While talking on The Women’s Hoops Show, basketball analyst Meghan McKeown shared her thoughts on the 6-foot guard and the possibility of her being picked in the first round. She said:
“Gabriela Jaquez is a dark horse to me in terms of what I think she could do in this league. I think she reminds me a little bit of Sonia Citron in terms of maybe flying under the radar a little bit. I think she is gonna come and make an immediate impact because she just has that high basketball IQ and knows how to play.”
Jaquez averaged her career-best 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 30.8 minutes this season. Her performance was clinical in the NCAA finals, in which she scored 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. However, her turnover numbers have been an issue. She gave up the ball just once in the final game, but turned it over six times in the semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns.
Gabriela Jaquez could add a serious offensive threat to any team on both sides of the floor. Moreover, she is a glue player who can score and also defend well. Sonia Citron, who was picked third overall last season, has been a crucial piece for the Washington Mystics and a consistent starter. Even though Jaquez might not get picked third in the upcoming WNBA draft, like Citron last year, she has the pedigree of being in the same league as the Mystics guard.
“We’re just happy that we won,” Gabriela Jaquez on beating South Carolina by 28 points
The core group of the Bruins was invited on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, along with their head coach, Cori Close. The host asked them about their dominant run during March Madness, especially in the finals, and whether they felt bad about brutally beating South Carolina.
As the Most Outstanding Player, Lauren Betts, chuckled at the question, Gabriela Jaquez took the lead and said:
“We’re just happy that we won. We are so proud as a team, and we’re all competitors.”
In the finals, UCLA beat South Carolina, 79-51, thanks to Jaquez’s double-double, after dominating the game from the beginning. It’ll be interesting to see whether a team like Portland Fire might be interested in signing a two-way guard like Gabriela Jaquez. Though they need someone who can play with Bridget Carleton and command the offense, signing Jaquez can solve half of their problem.
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