Dwyane Wade's Message to Chicago Sky Rookie Gabriela Jaquez

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 9:02 AM ET

Gabriela Jaquez had a phenomenal finish to her collegiate career, as she helped lead the UCLA Bruins to the national championship against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Jaquez put up a game-high 21 points on top of 10 rebounds and five assists to propel the Bruins to a 79-51 victory over South Carolina.

Overall, Jaquez averaged 13.5 points on 53.9% shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 38 games played in her final season with UCLA.

Jaquez's work paid off, as the Chicago Sky drafted her No. 5 overall during Monday's 2026 WNBA Draft. She was the second UCLA player to get selected in the 2026 class, following Lauren Betts, who was taken at No. 4.

Chicago Sky rookie Gabriela Jaquez poses for a photo on the orange carpet before the 2026 WNBA Draft. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After her selection, Jaquez didn't hide her excitement about making it to the WNBA and joining the Sky. True to her character, the 22-year-old did a TikTok dance to end the unforgettable night.

"Y’all knew this was coming," Jaquez wrote in the caption of her post, while mentioning the Sky and the WNBA.

Dwyane Wade, for his part, made sure to show his support for Jaquez.

"LG!!!" Wade wrote in the comment section of her post, along with three fire emojis.

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Wade is a minority owner of the Sky, having joined the Chicago ownership group back in 2023.

For what it's worth, Wade was clearly excited to see Jaquez join the Sky. In fact, he was among the first ones to react to Chicago's selection of the UCLA star.

The 2026 WNBA season kicks off on May 8, but the Sky will play their first game on May 9 against the Portland Fire. Chicago also has two preseason games against the Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream, so the wait to see Jaquez in action won't be long.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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