Gabriela Jaquez made WNBA history on Monday when the Chicago Sky selected her with the fifth pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, making her the first Mexico-American chosen in the first round of the league’s draft. The surprise reached beyond her own draft stock: experts had projected Jaquez to go later in the opening round.
Jaquez, who guided the UCLA Bruins to the national championship this year, was the headline name in a draft that quickly turned historic. Her brother, Jaime Jaquez Jr., had already broken similar ground in 2023 when the Miami Heat selected him 18th in the NBA draft, making him the first Mexico-American picked in the first round there. Together, the siblings will become the first of Mexican blood to play in the NBA and WNBA at the same time.
The selection also tied Jaquez to a draft class full of notable firsts. The Dallas Wings took Azzi Fudd first overall, making her the seventh UConn player to be the No. 1 pick, while adding her to Paige Bueckers in Dallas under new coach Jose Fernandez. Olivia Miles went second to the Minnesota Lynx after playing at TCU, and the Seattle Storm then selected 19-year-old Awa Fam Thiam, who became the highest-drafted player from Spain in WNBA draft history.
For Jaquez, the significance is twofold: she enters the league as a first-round pick, and she does so as part of a family that has now redefined what Mexican-American representation looks like in major U.S. basketball. The next test is immediate — whether she can turn a landmark selection into the kind of pro career that makes the history feel inevitable.
