Sports
UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez learned to handle bruising hits while leading Mexican team
When Gabriela Jaquez noticed three of her UCLA teammates passionately representing Serbia and Germany during Olympic qualifiers, she was motivated.
Emily Bessoir and Lina Sontag qualified to make their Olympic debuts playing for Germany. UCLA teammate Angela Dugalić, of Serbia, also qualified to compete during the Paris Games.
“I saw them and they inspired me,” said Jaquez, explaining why she decided to play for the Mexican national team.
Jaquez, 20, then talked with her father and older brother about playing for Mexico during the summer in her first international tournament. Mexican basketball federation officials had long sought her participation after her brother, former UCLA star and current Miami Heat player Jaime Jaquez Jr., played for Mexico during the 2019 Pan American 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 said. “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 while laughing. Her brother told her the same thing.
But Gabriela was not intimidated and called the coach of the Mexican women’s team, Lindsey Harding, a successful Duke player and former pro, who welcomed her. Harding made Jaquez feel comfortable and told her that her first adventure with Mexico could be in August in the pre-qualifying tournament for the FIBA 2026 Women’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 said of Harding, who was recently named an assistant coach with the Lakers, becoming the first woman to hold that title in Lakers history.
Jaquez had the support of UCLA coach Cori Close, who urges her players to seek international competition experience to broaden their repertoire of play.
Unlike college basketball, the FIBA game is generally more physical. Jaquez’s role on the Mexican team also was different from what she is used to with UCLA, a team on which she has very tall teammates. In Mexico, Jaquez, at 6 feet, is one of the tallest players.
“I knew it was going to be physical, but I tried to have fun and that’s what I did,” Jaquez said of the strong FIBA style.
“After every game, she had new bruises,” said Jaime Jaquez Sr., who accompanied his daughter to every game in Mexico City.
Harding said Gabriela Jaquez adapted quickly.
“The game is different than college basketball in the United States, it’s different than anywhere else you play. You’re allowed to do more things, more contact than you’re used to,” Harding said at the news conference after the first game, where she noted that it only took Jaquez one half of the game to adjust.
During the seven-day tournament in August, played at the Juan de la Barrera Olympic Gymnasium in the Mexican capital, the Mexican team was not the favorite but debuted with a win over Mozambique and then defeated New Zealand. Mexico then lost a competitive game to Montenegro and in the semifinals, they were eliminated by the powerful Czech Republic.
The Jaquez family gathered for a fundraiser benefitting the Jaquez Family Scholarship Fund. From left, Angela, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Gabriela, Marcos and Jaime Jaquez Sr. Gabriela Jaquez played for Mexico during the summer, following her brother’s path competing fo the country.
(Cortesía UCLA)
Jaime Jaquez Sr. said he was proud of how his daughter connected with her teammates, including Sofia Payan and Carla Martinez.
“I think they are going to be her friends forever,” he said.
Gabriela Jaquez is grateful she decided to play for Mexico.
“Honestly, it was a lot of fun, it was a great experience,” said Jaquez, who led the Mexican team in points 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 competition exceeded the Mexican team’s expectations and confirmed how much Jaquez can help the team. The Camarillo native averaged 21.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
“We are very happy. … Gabriela integrated very quickly with her teammates. The senior women’s national team had an outstanding pre-World Cup event,” said Modesto Robledo, president of the Mexican Basketball Sports Assn. “They played with a lot of grit.”
Jaquez said her teammates and coaches were very welcoming. The crowd also stole her heart.
UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez dribbles during a game against 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 said.
Omar Quintero, Mexico’s national team director, believes the Jaquez siblings can have a big effect on the Mexican national team.
“She came to revolutionize Mexican women’s basketball,” Quintero said of Gabriela. And he wants to see her brother return next summer to represent Mexico.
Last season, Jaquez and UCLA reached the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 before falling to Louisiana State. She averaged 10 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 34 games, starting six of them and averaging 25.2 minutes per game.
Jaquez wants to help UCLA win the Big Ten and hopes the more physical play she adapted to during the summer will help her during the NCAA tournament.
“The Big Ten championship and being in the Final Four are always our goals,” Jaquez said.
During the tournament in Mexico, Harding learned she had landed the Lakers assistant coaching job. It is unclear whether she will continue coaching Mexico during international tournaments, but federation officials hope she still has time in her schedule.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Basketball Sports Assn. is intensifying the search for players for its national teams. A FIBA rule requires players who represent a national team be born in that country or have obtained their passport from that country before the age of 16. There is only one exemption spot on the roster for a player who got their passport after the age of 16. Jaime and Gabriela Jaquez both used exemptions.
Mexican federation officials are trying to process as many passports as possible for young Mexican American basketball players in the United States so that if they continue to develop their talent, they can play for Mexico without relying on exemptions. The federation has scheduled a camp in Los Angeles for boys and girls under age 3 for January 2025.
UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez, left, shoots over Purdue forward Alaina Harper during a game on Nov. 6.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
“We may have to set up 300 passports, but if five or six players come out of those 300, we’re good,” Quintero said.
Some of the young basketball players they have in their sights include the children of former Laker Matt Barnes, who have Mexican roots through their mother.
“We are looking for boys and girls from the United States who have the same dream as Gabriela,” Quintero said.
This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times es Español.
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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The Sparks are finally in the win column, but the outcome was in doubt late Friday night.
Behind double-digit scoring from all five starters, the Sparks had by far their best offensive showing of the season, shooting 63.8% during a 99-95 win over the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball. Marina Mabrey missed a three-point attempt before late Tempo fouls gave the Sparks enough of a cushion to win.
Kelsey Plum nearly claimed a double-double with 27 points and nine assists, while Dearica Hamby had 19 points with seven rebounds and Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points.
Erica Wheeler, who started in place of Ariel Atkins (concussion), scored 10 points with seven assists and was a plus-16 as the primary ball handler after starting the season two for 16 from the field. That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.
Toronto was shorthanded in the frontcourt without starting center Temi Fagbenle (right shoulder), and the Sparks trio of bigs had a field day with 54 points in the paint.
The Sparks came out firing on Friday, opening with a 17-2 run.
The Tempo went on a 10-0 burst heading into the second quarter but the Sparks countered to maintain momentum and led 46-38 at halftime.
A Wheeler three-pointer early in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 20-point lead. The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally. The Tempo put up more shots than the Sparks, 70-58, largely because of a 10-2 offensive-rebounding gap.
Cameron Brink’s 10 points were the only ones provided by the Sparks’ bench, while the Tempo got 42 points from reserves.
Toronto was coming off its first win in franchise history on Wednesday when it defeated Seattle but struggled against a more complete offensive team in the Sparks.
In her return to Los Angeles after winning a national championship with UCLA this spring, Tempo rookie Kiki Rice netted 11 points.
Kate Martin made her Sparks debut as a developmental player with Atkins and Sania Feagin (lower left leg) unavailable and picked up one rebound in six minutes.
The Sparks will face Toronto again on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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