UCLA basketball’s Jaquez siblings aim for history with titles
LOS ANGELES (BVM) – Many families throughout the history of athletics have left their mark on respective sports. The Earnhardts, the Griffeys, the Mannings, the Millers, and the Williams each left their marks in sports history thanks to their incredible talents and legendary performances all under one family tree. With this it is clear that families have left an indelible mark on athletics and it appears that another familial unit may have its opportunity to make history at UCLA.
Gabriela and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are both UCLA basketball players – Garbriela for the women’s team and Jaime for the men’s squad. Both Jaquez siblings helped lead their teams to Pac-12 tournament championship games and spots in their respective NCAA Tournaments, with Jaime’s Bruins earning a two seed and Garbiela’s earning a four seed.
“As the oldest sibling in my family, I’ve tried my best to carve a path for my younger siblings to follow,” Jaime told Tricolor Holdings. “I’ve had to act right. Waking up, being on time, working hard and just trying to be the best person you can be every day.”
Gabriela, the middle child of two brothers, always had to compete to make her mark in an athletic family. This has benefited her greatly as she has shown throughout her short time at UCLA.
“Ever since I was little I wanted to be good at everything I did,” Gabriela added. “Me being the only girl, I grew up playing against boys so I think that puts a big role into my toughness and my competitive spirit.”
My family’s heritage & love for sports spans three generations, beginning with my grandparents’ journey from Mexico.
Excited to partner w/ Tricolor Holdings & share our story in The Jaquez Family: A Legacy of Hard WorkFull video in the link below ⬇️https://t.co/9Xh7LtHDmb pic.twitter.com/aiXf94opMP
— Jaime Jaquez Jr (@jaquez_jr) March 24, 2022
While the siblings have led each of their teams to college basketball’s biggest stage, they’ve taken different paths to do so. Jaime, a senior guard, leads his Bruins with 17.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on his way to Pac-12 player of the year and Associated Press second-team All-American honors.
𝐀𝐏 𝐀𝐋𝐋-𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀, 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (@jaquez_jr) has become the Bruins' first AP All-America selection since Lonzo Ball in 2017.#GoBruins 🏀 pic.twitter.com/OYS3oa9k3e
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 14, 2023
Meanwhile, Gabriela, a freshman guard, has come off the bench for her UCLA team averaging 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes while playing in all of the squad’s games.
Freshman year and senior year, first at ACHS now at UCLA💙🏀 @jaquez_jr @AchsGirls @ACHS_BoysHoops @UCLAWBB @UCLAMBB pic.twitter.com/lZoxMthJAX
— Gabriela Jaquez (@gabrielarj11) August 25, 2022
Given the high seeds the Bruins squads have earned in the tournament, the siblings will look to join some rare company if they’re able to each win their respective national titles. In UCLA history, only one pair of brother-sister siblings ever won national titles when Ann and Dave Meyers each won a title in the 1970s. However, the Jaquezes could take it one step further, becoming the only pair of its kind to win national titles in the same year in Bruins history.
.@UCLAAthletics has had one brother-sister duo before: Dave and Ann Meyers. They both won a national championship with UCLA. 🔥
What's in store for Gabriela and Jaime Jaquez Jr. this year? 👀 pic.twitter.com/73EfPSqnzT
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 6, 2023
Whether they are able to make school history this year or not, the Jaquez family has already left its mark on the UCLA basketball legacy. Time will tell if Gabriela or Jaime or both are able to further etch their names into the Bruins’ record books for years to come.
