Gabriela Jaquez, Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s Sister, Scores 21 To Lead UCLA To Championship

Gabriela Jaquez, the sister of Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., was instrumental in UCLA’s championship win over South Carolina on April 5.

Jaquez led UCLA in scoring with 21 points. She also got help from her center, Lauren Betts, who scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds. These two led UCLA to a dominant 79-51 victory over South Carolina.

Although very little went right for South Carolina, they did have a couple of standouts. Tessa Johnson (14 points) and Agot Makeer (11 points) both made an impact in the loss for South Carolina.

Jaquez was one of four seniors who were key in UCLA’s title run. Jaquez, Betts, Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens all scored over 10 points per game. They are also set to graduate. 

Jaquez Jr. played for UCLA for four years from 2020 to 2023. He was drafted with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He’s become a key part of the Heat’s bench.

His sister followed in her brother’s footsteps and played for UCLA. Unlike her brother, her senior season ended with a championship. 

Although the Jaquez siblings made headlines, another set of siblings could help keep UCLA competitive in the long term.

Betts has a younger sister named Sienna. Sienna scored six points per game in her freshman season. Although Sienna only played six minutes in the championship game, she’s expected to take over the team’s offense with their top-six scorers all graduating. 

South Carolina will be running back a similar roster, although Makeer is graduating, Johnson and leading scorer Joyce Edwards will return for next season. Edwards struggled in the championship game, scoring just eight points. 

The WNBA Draft will be on April 13. Jaquez, Betts, Rice and Kneepkens are all projected to be drafted in the first round. 

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Article by Matthew Mendives