UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez Wins National Championship Dream

Gabriela Jaquez decided in third grade that she would play basketball for UCLA and win a national championship. On Sunday in Phoenix, she made that dream come true.

The 6-foot guard from Camarillo led the Bruins to a crushing 79-51 victory over perennial powerhouse South Carolina, securing UCLA's first women's basketball championship in nearly five decades. Jaquez dominated from the opening tip, scoring 5 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing 2 assists in her first five minutes to help UCLA jump to a 13-4 lead they never surrendered.

Her final stat line put her in elite company. With 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, Jaquez became just the fifth female player in NCAA history to reach those numbers in a championship game, joining legends like Breanna Stewart and Dawn Staley, who was coaching against her on Sunday.

"Relentless," Staley said of Jaquez after the game. Even WNBA star Caitlin Clark couldn't help but cheer from afar, posting on social media: "Jaquez going crazy."

The victory made the Jaquez family UCLA royalty. Her brother Jaime led the men's team to the Final Four in 2021 and now plays for the Miami Heat, scoring 32 points the day before Gabriela's championship game before flying to Phoenix to watch her shine.

"Of course I have bragging rights," Gabriela said with a smile after the game. "I'm a champion."

Why This Inspires

The story goes deeper than one game. Jaquez and her roommate Kiki Rice arrived at UCLA as freshmen with a mission to take the program where it had never been before. They reached the Final Four last season and completed their journey this year, finishing on a program-record 31-game winning streak.

The Jaquez family's impact extends beyond the court too. In 2023, they established the Jaquez Family Scholarship Fund to support Latino freshmen and transfer students at UCLA, giving back to the community that raised them.

Jaquez will likely become the third player of Mexican heritage to play in the WNBA. She leaves UCLA having accomplished everything she set out to do alongside teammates Lauren Betts and Rice, who joined her on the all-tournament team.

"To finish out my career with a national championship really does mean everything," Jaquez said. "Job's finished."

From a third grader with a dream to a national champion who inspired thousands, Gabriela Jaquez proved that sometimes the best stories are the ones we write for ourselves from the very beginning.