History in college basketball often repeats itself. The UCLA Bruins are no strangers to this phenomenon. With a decorated history of 11 NCAA Tournament titles, the Bruins stand alone as one of the sport’s best collegiate programs. This Friday, the No. 1 UCLA Bruins take on the No. 3 UConn Huskies in the Final Four with junior guard Gabriela Jaquez playing a massive role. The sister of former UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., Gabriela has a chance to do something her old brother could not: Make it to the NCAA title game.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was pivotal in the Bruins’ run to the Final Four back in 2021. Scoring 19 points on 48.6% shooting from the field with four assists against then-undefeated No. 1 Gonzaga in the losing effort, Jaquez Jr. became a household name for UCLA fans during its improbable NCAA Tournament run and beyond.
Four years later, en route to the Final Four, Gabriela Jaquez dropped 18 points, eight rebounds, and added three steals against the No. 3 LSU Tigers in the Bruins win. Averaging 9.9 points per game and five rebounds on 53.5% shooting, Jaquez has been one of UCLA’s shining stars throughout the 2024-2025 season.
The UCLA women’s guard will need a lights-out performance, however, on Friday, set to duel with UConn guard Paige Bueckers. A dominant performance from Jaquez would not only help the Bruins to the NCAA Championship but further ignite the sibling rivalry between the two UCLA basketball greats.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Recalling Jaime Jaquez powering UCLA to the Final Four in 2021
Reporting by Jake Hamilton, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
