UCLA Basketball News: Gabriela Jaquez Selected for FIBA World Cup with Mexico
Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA women's basketball has been selected to play for the Mexican national team at the upcoming 2024 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament. This announcement was made by UCLA Athletics.
The tournament will take place from August 19-25 in Mexico City at the historic Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera, which previously hosted volleyball events during the 1968 Summer Olympics. The competition will determine the 16 teams that will qualify for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 2026, set to be held in Berlin, Germany.
Last season, Jaquez, a rising junior forward, averaged 10 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game over 34 appearances, including six starts. She recorded her first career 30-point game on November 12 during a dominant 113-64 win against Bellarmine, and she achieved three double-doubles throughout the season. Jaquez showed significant improvement in her sophomore year, setting new personal bests in points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers, and free throws.
As a freshman, she played in all 37 games and made two starts, leading the team in scoring against Washington State and Oregon State, while also finishing with a 45.5% shooting percentage from the field.
UCLA's basketball program has a history of players representing their national teams. Earlier this year, two Bruins participated in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil. Angela Dugalic, a former senior and Eurobasket gold medalist, played for Serbia, while Lina Sontang, a then-sophomore, competed for Germany. Both teams secured spots for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Additionally, UCLA alum Emily Bessoir, who played alongside Sontang, also represented Germany at the Olympics and was recognized as a standout player in the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team.
Gabriela Jaquez is the younger sister of Jaime Jacquez Jr., a first-round draft pick for the Miami Heat. Both siblings come from a family with a strong basketball background, as their parents played at Concordia University in Irvine, California. While Jaime has represented the Mexican national team in the past, he chose not to participate in the recent FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.