When Gabriela Jaquez seen three of her UCLA teammates passionately representing Serbia and Germany throughout Olympic qualifiers, she was motivated.
Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag certified to make their Olympic debuts enjoying for Germany. UCLA teammate Angela Dugalić, of Serbia, additionally certified to compete through the Paris Video games.
“I saw them and they inspired me,” mentioned Jaquez, explaining why she determined to play for the Mexican nationwide staff.
Jaquez, 20, then talked along with her father and older brother about enjoying for Mexico through the summer season in her first worldwide match. Mexican basketball federation officers had lengthy sought her participation after her brother, former UCLA star and present Miami Warmth participant Jaime Jaquez Jr., performed for Mexico through the 2019 Pan American Video games in Lima, Peru.
“Mexico had always asked me to play with them, but I didn’t know if I was going to be ready,” Jaquez mentioned. “I took the initiative to play with them and I’m super grateful I got to do it.”
Her dad warned her, “You’re not going to get the fouls at FIBA that you get at UCLA,” Jaime Jaquez Sr. recalled whereas laughing. Her brother instructed her the identical factor.
However Gabriela was not intimidated and referred to as the coach of the Mexican girls’s staff, Lindsey Harding, a profitable Duke participant and former professional, who welcomed her. Harding made Jaquez really feel snug and instructed her that her first journey with Mexico might be in August within the pre-qualifying match for the FIBA 2026 Girls’s Basketball World Cup.
“It was very cool that she was the coach. I admire the way she is, how much I can learn from her,” Jaquez mentioned of Harding, who was lately named an assistant coach with the Lakers, turning into the primary lady to carry that title in Lakers historical past.
Jaquez had the assist of UCLA coach Cori Shut, who urges her gamers to hunt worldwide competitors expertise to broaden their repertoire of play.
Not like faculty basketball, the FIBA sport is mostly extra bodily. Jaquez’s function on the Mexican staff additionally was totally different from what she is used to with UCLA, a staff on which she has very tall teammates. In Mexico, Jaquez, at 6 toes, is without doubt one of the tallest gamers.
“I knew it was going to be physical, but I tried to have fun and that’s what I did,” Jaquez mentioned of the sturdy FIBA fashion.
“After every game, she had new bruises,” mentioned Jaime Jaquez Sr., who accompanied his daughter to each sport in Mexico Metropolis.
Harding mentioned Gabriela Jaquez tailored shortly.
In the course of the seven-day match in August, performed on the Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium within the Mexican capital, the Mexican staff was not the favourite however debuted with a win over Mozambique after which defeated New Zealand. Mexico then misplaced a aggressive sport to Montenegro and within the semifinals, they had been eradicated by the highly effective Czech Republic.
The Jaquez household gathered for a fundraiser benefitting the Jaquez Household Scholarship Fund. From left, Angela, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Gabriela, Marcos and Jaime Jaquez Sr. Gabriela Jaquez performed for Mexico through the summer season, following her brother’s path competing fo the nation.
(Cortesía UCLA)
Jaime Jaquez Sr. mentioned he was pleased with how his daughter linked along with her teammates, together with Sofia Payan and Carla Martinez.
“I think they are going to be her friends forever,” he mentioned.
Gabriela Jaquez is grateful she determined to play for Mexico.
“Honestly, it was a lot of fun, it was a great experience,” mentioned Jaquez, who led the Mexican staff in factors and rebounds. “At the beginning, I was a little nervous. I didn’t want to think about it too much because I didn’t want to stress myself out. But at the end of the day, it’s basketball, it’s what I love to do.”
The competitors exceeded the Mexican staff’s expectations and confirmed how a lot Jaquez may also help the staff. The Camarillo native averaged 21.8 factors, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per sport.
“We are very happy. … Gabriela integrated very quickly with her teammates. The senior women’s national team had an outstanding pre-World Cup event,” mentioned Modesto Robledo, president of the Mexican Basketball Sports activities Assn. “They played with a lot of grit.”
Jaquez mentioned her teammates and coaches had been very welcoming. The group additionally stole her coronary heart.
UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez dribbles throughout a sport towards California Baptist on March 23 in L.A.
(Kyusung Gong/AP)
“The people from Mexico who went to our games were incredible. They were saying they were grateful that I would play for Mexico, but no, I was the one who was more grateful,” she mentioned.
Omar Quintero, Mexico’s nationwide staff director, believes the Jaquez siblings can have a giant impact on the Mexican nationwide staff.
“She came to revolutionize Mexican women’s basketball,” Quintero mentioned of Gabriela. And he needs to see her brother return subsequent summer season to signify Mexico.
Final season, Jaquez and UCLA reached the NCAA match Candy 16 earlier than falling to Louisiana State. She averaged 10 factors, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per sport in 34 video games, beginning six of them and averaging 25.2 minutes per sport.
Jaquez needs to assist UCLA win the Massive Ten and hopes the extra bodily play she tailored to through the summer season will assist her through the NCAA match.
“The Big Ten championship and being in the Final Four are always our goals,” Jaquez mentioned.
In the course of the match in Mexico, Harding realized she had landed the Lakers assistant teaching job. It’s unclear whether or not she’s going to proceed teaching Mexico throughout worldwide tournaments, however federation officers hope she nonetheless has time in her schedule.
In the meantime, the Mexican Basketball Sports activities Assn. is intensifying the seek for gamers for its nationwide groups. A FIBA rule requires gamers who signify a nationwide staff be born in that nation or have obtained their passport from that nation earlier than the age of 16. There is just one exemption spot on the roster for a participant who received their passport after the age of 16. Jaime and Gabriela Jaquez each used exemptions.
Mexican federation officers try to course of as many passports as attainable for younger Mexican American basketball gamers in america in order that in the event that they proceed to develop their expertise, they’ll play for Mexico with out counting on exemptions. The federation has scheduled a camp in Los Angeles for girls and boys beneath age 3 for January 2025.
UCLA ahead Gabriela Jaquez, left, shoots over Purdue ahead Alaina Harper throughout a sport on Nov. 6.
(Ryan Solar / Related Press)
“We may have to set up 300 passports, but if five or six players come out of those 300, we’re good,” Quintero mentioned.
Among the younger basketball gamers they’ve of their sights embody the youngsters of former Laker Matt Barnes, who’ve Mexican roots by way of their mom.
“We are looking for boys and girls from the United States who have the same dream as Gabriela,” Quintero mentioned.
This text first appeared in Spanish through L.A. Occasions es Español.
