Gabriela Jaquez is on the board.
The former Camarillo High and UCLA star scored the first points of her pro career Saturday, May 9 in the Chicago Sky’s season opener against the Portland Fire on the road, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Jaquez, the No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft, started in her regular season debut and was a +14 in the 98-83 victory over the brand new WNBA franchise.
Her performance impressed teammates Skylar Diggins and Rickea Jackson, but it didn’t come as a surprise.
“We didn’t learn anything new about her,” Diggins told reporters after the win. “We know she can shoot the three, we know she can take it to the basket, we know she can defend, we know she is not going to take any plays off. We all need more of that — her.”
Jaquez’ first professional points came late in the second quarter when she flashed to the middle of the floor, bumped Fire defender Jordan Harrison off her spot and finished.
“You can tell she just came from college, in a good way,” Jackson said. “She be getting out, and I feel like I haven’t seen that since college, a person that just runs. That is what we have been missing. That is what we need. Just throw the ball up to Gabs, and she is making the little plays. On the defensive end, she is disruptive. She had a couple of deflections. Playing with someone fearless like that is fun. You can expect her to get out like a track meet, every time.”
Jackson assisted the rookie on her first career 3-pointer, driving baseline and swinging it to an open Jaquez in the right corner who connected on her first attempt.
Shooting will be a point of emphasis for Jaquez with the Sky, said head coach Tyler Marsh.
“She was a pretty near 40 percent 3-point shooter in college and the one that she took today, she hit,” Marsh said. “We want her to know that we have the confidence in her to take and make those shots, just like we do the rest of the roster. It is a part of her game that people have to respect, especially with her ability to play off the catch and get into the paint as well.”
The Sky will be back in Jaquez’ home state of California May 13 for a game against the Golden State Valkyries at 7 p.m. Pacific.
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for the Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Camarillo’s Gabriela Jaquez shines in WNBA debut for Chicago Sky
Reporting by Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
