In less than a month, Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez went from winning a national title at UCLA to being drafted fifth overall by the Sky.<\/p>\n
In April, the Sky picked Jaquez, a guard and forward, with the No. 5 overall pick. The 6-foot speedster spent all four years of her college basketball career at UCLA, and scored 21 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA Title Game over South Carolina.<\/p>\n
In May, Jaquez started in her first WNBA game. She says she’s been living out her dream.<\/p>\n
“I’ve had amazing support from my whole staff her at the Sky, and my teammates have been super-supportive of me,” she said, “and so I just appreciate them so much through this, you know, tough transition, but they have made it pretty easy, and it’s been a lot of fun just to play a lot of basketball games, live out my dream of being in the WNBA.”<\/p>\n
At one time, Jaquez said, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to play softball or basketball in college. But by seventh grade, she was sure, and was determined to be a pro.<\/p>\n
And Jaquez played like the pro she now is from the get-go with the Sky. She finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in that home opener, in which the Sky beat the Portland Fire 98-83. <\/p>\n
Sky head coach Tyler Marsh called Jaquez’s game “fearless.”<\/p>\n
“I think just having a lot of confidence in the work that I put in, and know that I’m prepared, and I’m ready to, you know, do whatever the team needs to get out there, and just, you know, not being scared of the moment,” Jaquez said.<\/p>\n
Jaquez’s father, Jaime Jaquez Sr., and mother, Angela Jaquez, both played basketball at Concordia University in Irvine, California. Gabriela Jaquez’s brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., also played for UCLA and played three seasons for the Miami Heat before a reported deal that will send him to the Milwaukee Bucks and send Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami.<\/a><\/p>\n Brother Marcos also plays basketball.<\/p>\n “It’s great to have a sibling that went through it,” Gabriela Jaquez said of her relationship with brother Jaime Jr. “I mean it’s pretty, you know, rare to have that, but I think it’s really cool, and, you know, just talking to him about just the adjustments of how much more like free time you have.”<\/p>\n Jaquez said she was constantly busy as a college athlete, between practice, classes, and meetings on her name, image and likeness.<\/p>\n “And now, I just get to live my dream, play basketball, and do a little work stuff. And to just relate to [Jaime Jr.] on that, and you know, him talking about, ‘You need to have some hobbies to do after practice,’ and how fun it is to travel to all the cities, go get dinner, meet people you know in the cities, and just have fun,” she said. “We both really enjoy basketball, and it’s really our passion.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, when Gabriela Jaquez isn’t on the court, she’s dancing on TikTok. She said she was planning for some collaborations with teammate Tash Cloud.<\/p>\n “We’re going to get a good duo going on in the TikToks, and the fans, I know, want to see it,” she said.<\/p>\n