Gabriela Jaquez looked to make history last summer in seeking to help Mexico, the country of her heritage, qualify for the 2026 FIBA World Cup. That remains a work in progress, so for the moment her focus has shifted to a different kind of history with UCLA as the program enjoys its first Final Four run at the women’s NCAA tournament.
The Bruins face a daunting task against 11-time national champion UConn (9:30 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN) in Tampa, Florida, but Jaquez is keen on maintaining a sense of balance as she and her teammates take in the experience.
“[We’re] just super grateful for these opportunities,” Jaquez told ESPN, “and at the same time, we are not done yet. We have more games to play, more teams to compete with.”
Jaquez scored a game-high 18 points in the Bruins’ Elite Eight win over LSU and, along with Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, has propelled UCLA into a record-breaking season. The top-ranked Bruins (34-2) started the 2024-25 campaign with 23 consecutive victories and avenged their two losses to crosstown rival USC with a victory in the Big Ten title game last month.
Their March Madness run includes wins over Southern, Richmond, Ole Miss and LSU, but Friday’s game against UConn looms as the biggest test of all.
