Latest news with #GabrielaJaquez
Los Angeles Times
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
UCLA women vs. UConn in Final Four: Live updates, start time and how to watch
UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball during a win over Louisiana State in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament on March 30. How to watch UCLA vs. UConn in the Final Four and what to expect UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez, right drives to the basket against Richmond guard Rachel Ullstrom during a second-round game in the NCAA tournament.
Los Angeles Times
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Gabriela Jaquez helps UCLA to historic Final Four
Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA basketball player, is coming off a strong performance that helped push the Bruins to the first Final Four in school history. She played for the Mexican national team during the summer and is the younger sister of Miami Heat player and former Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr., one of the few Mexican American players in the NBA.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Amid athletic lore in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA women's basketball finally has a legacy to add
Amid athletic lore in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA women's basketball finally has a legacy to add SPOKANE, Wash. — UCLA has won 124 national championships in school history. The women's basketball team comes into its home gym of Pauley Pavilion and sees banners for 11 men's basketball titles, nine gymnastics championships and 25 national titles for volleyball. Advertisement It's a seemingly impossible legacy to live up to, but one the Bruins women's basketball team has never shied away from chasing. It's one step closer to clearing a space of its own in that hallowed gym after a 72-65 win over LSU to send the Bruins to their first Final Four in NCAA Tournament history. 'Everyone came to UCLA for this reason, to do something we haven't done,' junior Gabriela Jaquez said. 'Proud of my teammates, the staff, the coaches for just continuing to get better every day and grow.' This milestone has been a long time coming for the program, which experienced success in the AIAW era — a title in 1978 and another final four in 1979 — but had yet to translate it into the modern era of the NCAA Tournament. For decades, women's basketball has been an afterthought in the Bruins' athletic powerhouse. UCLA took a chance on Cori Close, then a longtime assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara and Florida State, in 2011. The administration believed she could elevate the program with her mission to build 'an elite program that teaches, mentors and equips women for life beyond college.' Assistant coach Tony Newnan was semiretired, selling real estate in Santa Barbara when he got the call to join Close, who had coached with him on the Gauchos staff. Shannon LeBeauf was a rising coaching star who had worked with multiple national players of the year at Duke when she chose to help a first-time head coach build a foundation in Los Angeles. LeBeauf said she would have gotten out of coaching if she hadn't felt fully in sync with the process. Both have stayed with Close for the entirety of her UCLA tenure. Advertisement 'I had a vision and I believed in surrounding myself with people that were smarter than me and that would be aligned in that vision, but they still had to take a risk on me,' Close said. 'That's not an easy risk to take when someone's unproven, and I'll be eternally grateful for that risk that they took.' The early returns for the Close era were promising on the court. The Bruins brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in 2014. That group won the WNIT as freshmen, went to the NCAA Sweet 16 the next season, and peaked with an Elite Eight appearance as seniors, but that remained the high point for the Bruins until now. Close, her staff and the university continued to believe the program was fulfilling its promise to the women who came through, even if that didn't manifest itself in wins. 'She pours her heart and soul into the program, into the lives of everybody in the program,' said Newnan, who was recently named the 2025 Division I assistant coach of the year. 'She's achieved so much off the court in the lives of everybody.' Advertisement UCLA also turned out several WNBA pros, including Jordin Canada, Monique Billings, 2021 rookie of the year Michaela Onyenwere, and 2024 champion Kennedy Burke. Past greats supported Close throughout. Denise Curry and Ann Meyers-Drysdale, who were part of the AIAW title and have their numbers retired, are season ticket holders who check in regularly. 'They have celebrated every step,' Close said. 'They have been behind us, they have donated, they have showed up, they have believed in our mission. And I don't appreciate them as much today as I do on the darkest days. That's when they showed up in the trenches with me and said, 'Hey, hang in there. We believe in what you're doing, and we're behind you 100 percent.'' The big break for Close came in 2022, when she brought in her second top-ranked class, headlined by Kiki Rice, Jaquez and Londynn Jones. They breathed new life into a roster that had missed the NCAA Tournament the prior season and needed an influx of talent to compete at the highest levels. The top-ranked player in that class, Lauren Betts, joined UCLA from Stanford the next season, and the No. 3 and No. 6 players (Janiah Barker and Timea Gardiner) came aboard in 2024. Advertisement The main goal had always been to win, and the Bruins finally had a roster that could realistically achieve that. A lack of historical success and a recent trend of coming up short in big games dimmed UCLA's self-belief, but this was the challenge Close was waiting for. All of the intangibles Close had been preaching throughout her time at UCLA — visualizing success, resetting to neutral in chaotic atmospheres, earning confidence by conquering challenges, choosing 'we' over 'me' — coincided with a team that could take those principles and execute them on the basketball court. These Bruins are the culmination of 14 years of Close's vision, a talented team that plays for and with each other in her image. That it happened at UCLA is even sweeter. 'Cori's way is the (John) Wooden way,' LeBeauf said. 'A lot of what he built his program around is instilled in her, and I'm proud of her for sticking to her guns.' There is pressure and privilege to coaching a basketball team in the perpetual shadow of John Wooden, at a university that doesn't have room to recognize accomplishments short of national titles. LeBeauf, who serves as the Bruins' recruiting coordinator, says she feels a responsibility to put something new in the team's trophy case whenever recruits visit. She joked the Bruins prefer to practice in the practice facility to avoid looking at all of the banners inside the gym. Advertisement 'How do you not feel privileged to be at a place like UCLA with a history that it has?' she said. 'At the same time, you want to carry your weight. … To be at a place like UCLA and to be able to add to that collection will be something meaningful, but it is something that keeps you motivated and pushing every single day.' This season is the crowning achievement of Close's career, and a bright spot in a Bruins women's basketball legacy that is growing by the day. Everyone on this team came together to pursue a championship. They believed it was possible when the track record suggested otherwise. Although the Bruins celebrated their Final Four berth with boundless enthusiasm, stacking hats on top of each other's heads during postgame interviews and sending an endless line of staffers to cut the nets, this isn't where the journey ends. At UCLA, the standard has been set higher, staring down from the rafters at Pauley Pavilion. Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. UCLA Bruins, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
31-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Amid athletic lore in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA women's basketball finally has a legacy to add
SPOKANE, Wash. — UCLA has won 124 national championships in school history. The women's basketball team comes into its home gym of Pauley Pavilion and sees banners for 11 men's basketball titles, nine gymnastics championships and 25 national titles for volleyball. It's a seemingly impossible legacy to live up to, but one the Bruins women's basketball team has never shied away from chasing. It's one step closer to clearing a space of its own in that hallowed gym, after a 72-65 win over LSU to send the Bruins to their first Final Four in NCAA Tournament history. Advertisement 'Everyone came to UCLA for this reason, to do something we haven't done,' junior Gabriela Jaquez said. 'Proud of my teammates, the staff, the coaches for just continuing to get better every day and grow.' This milestone has been a long time coming for the program, which experienced success in the AIAW era — a title in 1978 and another final four in 1979 — but had yet to translate it into the modern era of the NCAA Tournament. For decades, women's basketball has been an afterthought in the Bruins' athletic powerhouse. UCLA took a chance on Cori Close, then a longtime assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara and Florida State, in 2011. The administration believed she could elevate the program with her mission to build 'an elite program that teaches, mentors and equips women for life beyond college.' Who doesn't love confetti ?! 🎉 @UCLAWBB #MarchMadness x #WFinalFour — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 30, 2025 Assistant coach Tony Newnan was semi-retired, selling real estate in Santa Barbara when he got the call to join Close, who had coached with him on the Gauchos staff. Shannon LeBeauf was a rising coaching star who had worked with multiple national players of the year at Duke when she chose to help a first-time head coach build a foundation in Los Angeles. LeBeauf said she would have gotten out of coaching if she hadn't felt fully in sync with the process. Both have stayed with Close for the entirety of her UCLA tenure. 'I had a vision and I believed in surrounding myself with people that were smarter than me and that would be aligned in that vision, but they still had to take a risk on me,' Close said. 'That's not an easy risk to take when someone's unproven, and I'll be eternally grateful for that risk that they took.' The early returns for the Close era were promising on the court. The Bruins brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in 2014. That group won the WNIT as freshmen, went to the NCAA Sweet 16 the next season, and peaked with an Elite Eight appearance as seniors, but that remained the high point for the Bruins until now. Advertisement Close, her staff, and the university continued to believe that the program was fulfilling its promise to the women who came through, even if that didn't manifest itself in wins. 'She pours her heart and soul into the program, into the lives of everybody in the program,' said Newnan, who was recently named the 2025 Division I assistant coach of the year. 'She's achieved so much off the court in the lives of everybody.' UCLA also turned out a number of WNBA pros, including Jordin Canada, Monique Billings, 2021 rookie of the year Michaela Onyenwere, and 2024 champion Kennedy Burke. Past greats supported Close throughout. Denise Curry and Ann Meyers-Drysdale, who were part of the AIAW title and have their numbers retired, are season-ticket holders who check in regularly. 'They have celebrated every step,' Close said. 'They have been behind us, they have donated, they have showed up, they have believed in our mission. And I don't appreciate them as much today as I do on the darkest days. That's when they showed up in the trenches with me and said, 'Hey, hang in there. We believe in what you're doing, and we're behind you 100 percent.'' The big break for Close came in 2022, when she brought in her second top-ranked class, headlined by Kiki Rice, Jaquez and Londynn Jones. They breathed new life into a roster that had missed the NCAA Tournament the prior season and needed an influx of talent to compete at the highest levels. The top-ranked player in that class, Lauren Betts, joined UCLA from Stanford the following season, and the No. 3 and No. 6 players (Janiah Barker and Timea Gardiner) came aboard in 2024. The main goal had always been to win, and the Bruins finally had a roster that could realistically achieve that. A lack of historical success and a recent trend of coming up short in big games dimmed UCLA's self-belief, but this was the challenge Close was waiting for. Advertisement All of the intangibles Close had been preaching throughout her time at UCLA — visualizing success, resetting to neutral in chaotic atmospheres, earning confidence by conquering challenges, choosing 'we' over 'me' — coincided with a team that could take those principles and execute them on the basketball court. These Bruins are the culmination of 14 years of Close's vision, a talented team that plays for and with each other in her image. That it happened at UCLA is even sweeter. 'Cori's way is the Wooden way,' LeBeauf said. 'A lot of what he built his program around is instilled in her, and I'm proud of her for sticking to her guns.' Postgame locker room vibes were all the way up! 📈#GoBruins — UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) March 31, 2025 There is pressure and privilege to coaching a basketball team in the perpetual shadow of John Wooden, at a university that doesn't have room to recognize accomplishments short of national titles. LeBeauf, who serves as the Bruins' recruiting coordinator, says she feels a responsibility to put something new in the team's trophy case whenever she recruits visits. She joked that the Bruins prefer to practice in the practice facility to avoid looking at all of the banners inside of the gym. 'How do you not feel privileged to be at a place like UCLA with a history that it has?' she said. 'At the same time, you want to carry your weight. … To be at a place like UCLA and to be able to add to that collection will be something meaningful, but it is something that keeps you motivated and pushing every single day.' This season is the crowning achievement of Close's career, and a bright spot in a Bruins' women's basketball legacy that is growing by the day. Everyone on this team came together to pursue a championship. They believed it was possible when the track record suggested otherwise. Although the Bruins celebrated their Final Four berth with boundless enthusiasm, stacking hats on top of each other's heads during postgame interviews and sending an endless line of staffers to cut the nets, this isn't where the journey ends. At UCLA, the standard has been set higher, staring down from the rafters at Pauley Pavilion. (Photo of Cori Close: Tyler McFarland / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Are Gabriela Jaquez, Jaime Jaquez related? What to know of UCLA basketball guards
Are Gabriela Jaquez, Jaime Jaquez related? What to know of UCLA basketball guards Show Caption Hide Caption You don't need a NCAA championship to excel, according to Lisa Leslie A former USC Trojan, Lisa Leslie never won a NCAA tournament championship herself, and believes players don't need it to be great in the WNBA. Sports Seriously Can another Jaquez reach the Final Four with UCLA? Bruins guard Gabriela Jaquez, a few years after her brother Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the Bruins from the First Four to the Final Four, looks to help UCLA women's basketball to its first-ever Final Four appearance in the women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday. The Bruins will take on No. 3 seed LSU. REQUIRED READING: LSU vs. UCLA women's basketball live updates: Elite Eight prediction, where to watch UCLA last made the Final Four in 1979, when the women's tournament was still under the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The Bruins secured the No. 1 overall seed this season, with Gabriela Jaquez playing a large role. Jaime Jaquez Jr., the No. 18 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, was an All-America selection at UCLA, and plays a key role for the Miami Heat in 2025. Here's everything to know about Gabriela and Jaime Jaquez as the brother-sister duo look to become a pair of UCLA players to make the Final Four: Are Gabriela Jaquez, Jaime Jaquez Jr. related? Yes. The UCLA women's basketball guard is the younger sister to Jaime Jaquez Jr., a former Bruins All-American and Miami Heat guard. The two overlapped at UCLA for one season, when Gabriela Jaquez was a freshman and Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a senior in 2022-23. Jaime Jaquez Jr. helped lead UCLA to the Final Four of the 2021 men's NCAA Tournament alongside another future NBA guard in Johnny Juzang. He later became the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2023 as a senior, averaging 17.8 points with 8.2 rebounds per game. Gabriela Jaquez is quite the player herself, averaging 9.6 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 53% from the field in 31 starts this season. Their parents, Angela and Jaime Jaquez Sr., both played basketball at Concordia University. REQUIRED READING: Women's March Madness bracket breakdown: Best players to watch in Elite Eight Gabriela Jaquez stats Here are Gabriela Jaquez's year-by-year stat averages in college: 2022-23: 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists per game on 45.5% shooting 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists per game on 45.5% shooting 2023-24: 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game on 47.8% shooting 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game on 47.8% shooting 2024-25: 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game on 53% shooting Jaime Jaquez Jr. college stats Here are Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s stat averages in college:
