UCLA star Gabriela Jaquez boosted her WNBA draft stock during this year's NCAA women's championship run, emerging as a projected first-round pick after the Bruins won the 2026 title.
The senior guard delivered one of the most complete performances in Sunday's championship. She finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and a steal in UCLA's 79-51 blowout win over South Carolina. Jaquez impacted both ends of the floor, helping the Bruins take control early and maintain it.
The performance reinforced what scouts have been saying throughout the NCAA season. Jaquez is now projected as a first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, with most analysts placing her in the middle of the round.
Her value comes from versatility. At 6-foot, Jaquez plays across the wing, defending multiple positions while contributing as a rebounder and secondary playmaker. She doesn't need high volume to produce, growing into a full-time starter on a team that finished 37-1 and won the Big Ten title before its championship run.
Meanwhile, her efficiency stands out. Jaquez has shot above 60% on two-point attempts and over 40% from three during her senior season, giving her a reliable scoring profile to match her defensive impact.
"This has been a dream of hers for so long, ever since the third grade," Jaquez's brother, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., told ESPN. "Now she's here living her dream."
Jaquez's game should translate, as WNBA teams prioritize wings who defend, space the floor, and play within structure.
Is Gabriela Jaquez Declaring for the 2026 WNBA Draft?
The 2026 WNBA Draft is scheduled to take place April 13th. Jaquez enters the process coming off a national title and her most impactful stretch of the season.
UCLA women's basketball dominated South Carolina 79-51 Sunday night to claim its first-ever NCAA championship, capping a 31-game winning streak under coach Cori Close with the program's most important victory.
The Bruins never trailed against the Gamecocks, opening a double-digit lead after the first quarter and building a commanding 36-23 halftime advantage. The 28-point margin of victory ranks as the third-largest in championship game history.
All five UCLA senior starters registered double-digit scoring, led by senior guard Gabriela Jaquez's 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Star center Lauren Betts earned Most Outstanding Player honors with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
"We were determined, the core group, to do something UCLA hadn't done before in the NCAA era," Jaquez said postgame. "We always believed."
The victory punctuates head coach Cori Close's multi-year plan to build a championship program. Close assembled her roster through multiple channels, recruiting rising talents like Jaquez and guard Kiki Rice from high school while adding Betts, Gianna Kneepkens, and Charlisse Leger-Walker via the transfer portal.
"It's immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine," Close said after winning the 2026 NCAA women's championship. "It's beyond my wildest dreams."
UCLA last won a national title in women's basketball in 1978 when the AIAW governed the sport. Ann Meyers Drysdale, who led that championship team, attended Sunday's game as the Bruins made NCAA history.
The Bruins held the Gamecocks to 9-of-35 shooting in the first half while dominating the paint, limiting Joyce Edwards to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Cori Close became the longest-tenured single-program head coach to capture a first championship in the win. The victory also avenged last year's double-digit semifinal loss while fulfilling the senior class's mission to bring UCLA its first NCAA crown.
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
Every week on Sports Are Fun!, co-hosts soccer legend Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, retired NWSL great Merritt Mathias, and JWS intern BJ serve up their hottest takes on the biggest women's sports headlines.
This week, Just Women’s Sports brought Sports Are Fun! to Tampa for a live recording ahead of the NCCA Final Four.
Taped in front of a live audience, O’Hara and the crew were joined by some extra special guests. Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, WNBA stars Aaliyah Edwards and Kelsey Mitchell, and UCLA standout Gabriela Jaquez all showed up to talk through the biggest weekend in college basketball.
'Sports Are Fun!' guests give their takes on the NCAA Final Four
Lisa Leslie on why UConn star Paige Bueckers doesn’t need a championship to secure her legacy
- “There's a whole career beyond college… She’s about to be the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA. Now, if she gets there and she doesn't have a stellar career in the W, then maybe we don't talk about her anymore. But I don't really see that happening.”
Aaliyah Edwards on what UConn needs to do to stop UCLA in the Final Four
- “The first thing is, we just need to set the tone, play our game, focus on us. Because we've been doing great things. Second thing would be to limit the touches inside… And the third thing, which is like a UConn motto, is just play hard, play smart, and have fun.”
- “Obviously respect to UCLA, but I think we got it in the bag.”
Kelsey Mitchell on NIL pressure and Olivia Miles entering the NCAA transfer portal
- “I grew to respect people like Caitlin [Clark] because she handled it so gracefully… With Olivia, I'm sure whatever she decides to do, I'm going to say it was for her and what she needed for her career. But I hope consciously that they make decisions based on what they need for themselves.”
- “Not all money is good money. Hopefully whatever she decides to do is for her and she goes where she’s loved and where she’s celebrated, not tolerated.”
Gabriela Jaquez on how UCLA is preparing for their Final Four matchup against UConn
- “We're feeling great. We're feeling very confident, excited. I think coming here in the Final Four, it's such an extravagant experience, and I'm so thankful for it and these opportunities. But yeah, we all are here to play basketball and win games, and we're excited and we're really confident.”
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place.
Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
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