Gabriela Jaquez had quite a year. After helping the UCLA Bruins win the national championship, she took her talents to the pros, getting selected fifth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
The 22-year-old guard quickly established herself as a key contributor for the franchise, starting in 18 of the 39 games she played. Jaquez averaged 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 steals per game.
Jaquez’s best game came in the Sky’s May 17 showdown against the Minnesota Lynx. In Chicago’s 86-79 victory, Jaquez tallied 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, along with eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.
While Chicago finished the season with a 16-28 record and failed to make the playoffs, there’s no denying that Jaquez showed plenty of potential and proved that she could become a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In recognition of her outstanding season in college and the pros, Sports Illustrated Mexico named Jaquez its Sportswoman of the Year.
The Sky, for their part, made sure to celebrate Jaquez’s accomplishment with a social media post and a congratulatory message.
“From UCLA national champion to Sports Illustrated México Sportwoman of the Year,” the Sky wrote. “Congratulations to @gabrielajaquezz on this well deserved recognition!”
Sure enough, Jaquez got off to a good start in her professional career and should only be able to build on that success.
That said, it will be interesting to see how Jaquez continues to develop her game and what other accomplishments she will achieve with the Sky and the Mexican women’s national basketball team.
