While UCLA men’s basketball alumnus Jaime Jaquez Jr. may be the first “Jaquez” to come to a Bruin fan’s mind, it’s time they familiarize themselves with the heir carrying the family name forward.

And perhaps even making it shine brighter.

Gabriela Jaquez is the de facto leader of the nation’s No. 1 team – and owns the big moments – despite not leading the Bruins in scoring, rebounds, assists or minutes played, averaging 9.9, 5.3, 2.2 and 25.9, respectively.

While Jaquez is not the statistically strongest player on the squad, she is the voice and leader the Bruins need to be successful come the madness of March.

The Bruins have harped on the notion that mental toughness and perseverance are integral to their success and – vice versa – their shortcomings. The team’s “mind gym” is a cornerstone of its mental training regimen and sharpens each player’s focus, working to tune out external noise.

Though coach Cori Close’s roster does not list an official captain, players and coaches have said Jaquez is a figurehead for the group. As a sophomore, she led quietly and by example – putting in extra hours after practice and supporting the team during halftime discussions.

“Gabs was a very quiet leader by example, but now she’s using her voice,” Close said prior to the 2024-2025 season.

Close added that Jaquez embraced a leadership role heading into the team’s Big Ten tournament-winning season, despite starting just six games in her sophomore campaign.

Following UCLA’s regular season finale loss to USC, Jaquez and junior guard Kiki Rice joined Close in the postgame press conference. With puffy red eyes, Jaquez said she was disappointed with the team’s collective execution of the scouting report.

“These two did everything they could to get them (the squad) together,” Close said, referring to Jaquez and Rice. “Our team was prepared. We knew what to do and didn’t do it.”

In the days following the loss, Jaquez and Rice led a players-only meeting to review game film, dissecting what went wrong and mapping out improvements.

“I thought it would be best for us to sit down and watch the game through without comments from coaches,” Rice said. “We wanted to really focus on not holding back, really saying what we needed to say to each other and knowing we’re doing it because we want to win.”

Evidently, the meeting was a success, as the Bruins defeated the Trojans in the Big Ten tournament championship – the Bruins’ first win against their crosstown rivals this season – for the program’s second-ever conference title and first in its new conference.

In UCLA’s first game since its home loss to USC – the tournament’s quarterfinal round against No. 10 seed Nebraska – Jaquez scored her season-high points with 23 on 8-for-13 field goal shooting, including 3-for-7 from the arc and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Reeling from a crushing rivalry defeat, UCLA was searching for a spark to kickstart its run in Indiana.

True to form, Jaquez’s presence was undeniable when her team demanded it the most.

“I want to do whatever I can to help the team win and tonight was scoring,” Jaquez said after her performance against the Cornhuskers. “I put in the work all the time, and, for me, the main thing is to play confidently. Coach Cori has been feeding us confidence and reminding us of what we’ve earned and the type of players we are.”

In the semifinal round against No. 3 seed Ohio State, Jaquez shot 100% from the field alongside two 3-point conversions.

Simply put, she didn’t miss a single shot.

And, once again, when the team needed it most.

To the surprise of fans, Jaquez revealed she was under the weather during the tournament, as she croaked throughout postgame commentary on the Big Ten Network.

She may have lost her voice, but she didn’t lose her leadership.

Jaquez’s work paid off when it mattered most – fueling UCLA’s run to a Big Ten tournament trophy.

“Leading the freshmen, leading everyone to that (postseason play) will be really important,” Jaquez said in the preseason.

Her leadership and “doing-what-is-needed” mentality proved its strength in the Big Ten tournament.

Now, it’s her time to shine in the NCAA tournament.