Gabriela Jaquez just achieved one of her dreams. The Mexican-American basketball player is the name on everyone’s lips, playing a key role in UCLA’s women’s NCAA title. The achievement is one she’s been dreaming of her entire life.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jaquez “decided in the third grade that she wanted to play for UCLA.”
“This was the plan, and we accomplished it,” she said. “To finish out my career with a national championship… Really. Does. Mean. Everything.”
Jaquez is a part of a basketball dynasty, with her brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., also being a UCLA basketball star. “Living her dream,” he said. Jaime now plays for the Miami Heat.
Jaquez will become the third player of Mexican heritage to play in the WNBA. Her performance in the tournament is immortalized, inspiring praise from all sources. “Jaquez going crazy,” wrote WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark on X.
© NCAA Photos via Getty ImagesA childhood dream
As reported by ESPN, Jaquez has been pursuing her basketball dream forever, with this moment representing a significant moment for her and her family, who’ve seen her work hard over the years.
“I can’t say how proud I am of her. This has been a dream of hers for so long, ever since the third grade,” said her brother Jaime. “She wrote down on her ‘what does she want to be when ‘she grows up’,’ she’s like, ‘UCLA basketball player,’ and now she’s here living her dream.”
© Getty ImagesBefore the game, Jaime opened up about their dynamic and friendship. “I remember all her attitude that she had when she was a little girl. She’s been great, she was always a great younger sister. She used to annoy the hell out of me, but as we got older, we started to understand each other a lot more. And I’m just really, really proud of her.”
For her part, this win is fuel to Jaquez’s dreams and, of course, to their sibling rivalry. “Of course I have bragging rights, I’m a champion now,” she said in an interview post-game.
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