UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez is Built for This Moment

The pressure of March doesn’t faze UCLA junior guard Gabriela Jaquez. If anything, it fuels her.

UCLA has spent the season proving why it belongs among the nation’s elite, and when the Bruins were announced as the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Jaquez wasn’t surprised, she was ready.

“It felt great,” Jaquez said on the "Pacific Coast Hoopin’" podcast with Dave Marcus. “That was what we were expecting. And just to see it like that, 100 percent right that we were the overall number one seed, meant a lot, and [I’m] super proud of this group.”

For Jaquez, this season has been about more than just wins, it has been about stepping up. Whether that meant pushing through personal challenges, embracing a leadership role, or reinforcing the team’s mindset as they enter the postseason, she has done it all.

During the Big Ten Tournament, Jaquez battled illness but refused to let it slow her down.

“I think that when it's tournament games like that, it's now or never, and I take it really seriously,” she said. “Nothing was going to stop me at the end of the day.”

That relentless approach has carried over into her leadership role. As a junior, Jaquez has embraced the responsibility of guiding her team both on and off the court.

“I think I just, this year being a junior, had to step into a more leadership role,” she said. “I got a taste of it last year.

"They wanted to teach me and some of the other girls how to do that, and I take a lot of pride in that. I want to do what's best for the team, and me being a leader like that is what my team needs.”

With the tournament looming, Jaquez echoed Coach Cori Close’s emphasis on staying locked in for every single game.

“Just one game at a time is really important. To go 1-0, and Coach Cori just said that right now — going 1-0 is how we need to see it and have that mentality,” Jaquez said. “Because you can't get to the Final Four without playing, like you said, the other game. So it's really important to take all the games super seriously.”

While the Bruins have already made history by securing the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed, Jaquez knows there is still work to be done.

“It does feel good. I'm really proud of this team and how hard we worked to be in this seat,” she said. “It takes a lot and a lot of games that we played and a lot of wins. I'm just super proud again for what we have gone through and how we have gotten to this seat. Dream come true.”

As UCLA sets its sights on the tournament, Jaquez’s leadership, resilience and drive to go 1-0 every night will be key in turning that dream into a championship reality.

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