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Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez goes up for a shot during the fourth quarter of a game against the Sparks on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, right, handles the ball as the Sparks Erica Wheeler (17) defends during the first half on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, center, battles for the ball with the Sparks Dearica Hamby, left, and Ariel Atkins during the second half on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez talks to her teammates during the first half of a game against the Sparks on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, left, drives past the Sparks Jihyun Park during the third quarter on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez defends as the Sparks Rae Burrell looks to pass during the second half on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, right, is fouled by Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) during the first half on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez pushes the ball down the court during the first half of a game against the Sparks on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, right, gets in front of Sparks forward Dearica Hamby as she reaches for a rebound during the first half on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, left, and teammate Elizabeth Williams reach for a rebound during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez, center, gets ready for a game against the Sparks on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Show Caption 1 of 11 Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez goes up for a shot during the fourth quarter of a game against the Sparks on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Jaquez is one of six players from UCLAs 2026 national championship team who are now playing in the WNBA.
(Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Expand LOS ANGELES The UCLA womens basketball seniors chat room remains alive and buzzing.
Gabriela Jaquez confirmed as much Friday night.
Or maybe we should make that the UCLA womens basketball alumni/WNBA rookies chat room.
We still keep that senior group chat alive, just kind of updating each other, Jaquez said Friday night, before her first game back in L.A.
as a member of the Chicago Sky, one of six members of this springs national champion Bruins now playing in the WNBA.
Obviously, when we play each other Ill text, Im coming into town, or theyll text me and we always can get dinner the night before, and so thats always super special.
Especially me being in a new state (and) a new city, as Ive been in Southern California my whole life until now, its great to see familiar faces and Im really grateful that I could catch up with my (former) teammates.
Jaquez is having the best season so far of any of the Bruin rookies: averaging 23 minutes, 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
Friday night, playing in an arena where shed attended games and playing before a crowd that not only included two suites full of family and friends but former Vice President Kamala Harris sitting courtside, Jaquez played 20:26 off the bench, shot 6 for 12 from the field and made all three of her free throws for 15 points, and grabbed five rebounds in a 102-87 loss to the Sparks.
And not to second-guess, but as effectively as she was playing against the Sparks (10-11), if she hadnt sat out 512 minutes down the stretch Chicago (7-15) might have made it closer.
But this is the fact of life for a rookie at any level in any sport: Unless you are a franchise-changing player, you work your way up the rotation.
And in the WNBA the process is magnified because the runway is so short, especially when you play in the final game of the college season.
UCLA defeated South Carolina for the national title, 79-51, on April 5 in Phoenix.
Eight days later the WNBA draft took place, with six Bruins picked in the top 18 : Lauren Betts No.
4 to Washington, Jaquez No.
5 to Chicago, Kiki Rice No.
6 to Toronto, Angela Dugalic No.
9 to Washington, Gianna Kneepkens No.
15 to Connecticut and Charisse Leger-Walker at No.
18 (the only second-rounder), also to Connecticut.
And 25 days later, the regular season began.
Thats probably the toughest adjustment in pro sports, Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said.
On the mens side you have two, three months in between the time that you get drafted to kind of adapt and learn your way.
And then the women in the W have to do it on the fly.
And so its a testament to them because its an added element to just the growth process and the transition period that they have coming over for when our season starts, and so you have to kind of have a fast track to it but you also have to have a level of maturity to it as well, which I think our rookies do.
I asked Jaquez if she had consulted on the transition from college to pro basketball with her brother Jaime, who will be entering his fourth NBA season this fall and was sent from Miami to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade this summer.
Um, not really, she said.
Which makes sense.
Jaime had 215 days between his final college game at UCLA, a loss to Gonzaga in the 2023 NCAA West Regional semifinal, and his first NBA game with Miami in 2023.
Gabriela had 33.
I dont think you can fully prepare for that transition, she said, just because I dont think theres anything like it.
But I did know that it was going to be quick and it was gonna be fast but I just try to stay grateful through it all.
What has she learned? Theres so much to learn coming into this league, she said.
I dont know if I could really name one (thing), but its just a lot of games.
Thats kind of like the main one that comes to my mind is just the amount of games that youre playing.
I think Im most proud just of my mindset ..
just knowing that its going to be fun, but its not going to be easy and that every rookie, you know, has their ups and downs, but understanding that and just staying true to who I am and working hard throughout the process.
Of the Bruins other WNBA rookies, through Thursdays games Leger-Walker had played 23 games and averaged 21.6 minutes, 7.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists and shot 53.7% from the field for Connecticut.
Betts and Dugalic had played 20 games each for Washington, with Betts averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game and Dugalic 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes.
Kneepkens had played in 19 of Connecticuts games, averaging 8.3 minutes.
Rice was playing 26.7 minutes and averaging 12.7 points (and shooting 39.1% from 3-point range) for the expansion Toronto Tempo, but she has played only 10 games and has been out since June 3, when she suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain against New York.
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts coached at the University of Utah before taking this job in November of 2024 , so she had seen plenty of five of those Bruins and even more of Kneepkens, who she recruited and coached at Utah and who transferred to UCLA for her senior season.
I just gave Gabs a hug and caught up with her before the game, Roberts said.
I recruited her out of high school, but actually Cori (Close, UCLAs coach) and I were joking the other day.
..
I was close (with Jaquez in the recruiting process) and she just kept saying, Well, Im just waiting to see what UCLA does.
So I was texting Cori, like, Would you please cut her loose or offer her? Ive always been a big fan of hers.
But I think all those guys, they learned how to play with other stars.
I think thats a key in being a WNBA player.
You got to learn youre not the one anymore.
And I think at UCLA with that roster they had, they all had to learn how to, you know, sacrifice something to get the ultimate goal.
So theyre coming in as team players.
That, in itself, is the best preparation available for the transition from college to pro.
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