Gabriela Jaquez - WNBA Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

Jaquez at 11 to the Mystics will likely feel like an embarrassment of riches, but when glue players are available, you take them. Jaquez does many things that don't often show up on the stat sheet, but that's what makes her so good. She can score from anywhere on the court and shines in the gritty areas that are underappreciated: rebounds, steals, deflections and saving possessions.

The Mystics have three first-round picks for the second year in a row, and are back up here at No. 9. With a hypothetical big three of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Azzi Fudd in place, Jaquez would make a lot of sense for the Mystics as a do-it-all wing who doesn't need the ball in her hands, isn't afraid to do the dirty work and plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor. If the improvement she's shown as a 3-point shooter to start the season is real, that would be a bonus.

Jaquez can do a little bit of everything. She may not have star upside like some other players below her on the draft board. Still, Indiana already has two high-usage superstars under contract in Boston and Clark, and it hopes to bring back Kelsey Mitchell, making it a team that doesn't need a ball-dominant player. The Fever need a role player with toughness who can defend, move off the ball and shoot from distance. Jaquez fits the bill. In 2024-25, Jaquez's first season as a full-time starter, she had the highest on-off differential for the Bruins. She finished in the 98th percentile in points per possession and the 96th percentile in turnover rate, per Her Hoop Stats. Jaquez is versatile, can play positions one to four, even though she's best on the wing. She ran some point guard for UCLA during the summer and preseason, with Kiki Rice and Leger-Walker returning from injury, and is now starting at the four. A player who is always willing to sacrifice her body and crash the boards resembles fellow former Pac-12 alum Lexie Hull, especially if Jaquez's 3-point shooting (47.4 percent this season) isn't just a hot streak.

Jaquez has been solid for the Bruins, averaging 14.0 PPG, a team-high 7.8 RPG and 2.8 APG while shooting 39.1% from behind the arc. Jaquez became a full-time starter for UCLA last season and should help her draft stock if she continues her 3-point shooting improvement.