The Indiana Fever were in an unusual position on Sunday: for the second year in a row, the results of the WNBA Draft Lottery didn't matter to them.
After consecutive playoff appearances -- and a surprise run to the WNBA semifinals without the injured Caitlin Clark -- the Fever were already locked in to the 10th overall pick in the 2026 draft, which will be held on April 13.
Indiana will enter the 2026 season as a championship favorite. But adding a hard-nosed wing currently starring for the third-ranked NCAA women's team will enhance the Fever's roster even further.
Gabriela Jaquez's fit on the Fever
In The Athletic's new post-lottery mock draft, Sabreena Merchant predicts that the Fever will be enticed to select UCLA Bruins wing Gabriela Jaquez with the 10th pick.
Jaquez's fit in Indiana might be among the best in the draft. A versatile, switchable player who can guard positions one through four, Jaquez blossomed in 2024-25 when she finally cracked the Bruins' starting lineup.
Gabriela Jaquez joins the 1⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣-point club with her first basket of the game! 🤩#GoBruins | @gabrielarj11 pic.twitter.com/ygzaymb4JI
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB) November 23, 2025
Jaquez -- whose older brother Jaime plays for the NBA's Miami Heat -- would bring toughness and a knock-down 3-point shot to Indiana. She rebounds aggressively, rarely turns the ball over and stands out for her off-ball movement -- which led Merchant to compare her favorably to Lexie Hull, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season in Indiana.
"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," Merchant wrote.
With Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (assuming she re-signs) set for the lion's share of touches on offense, another selfless shooter with a high competitive motor could be just what Fever general manager Amber Cox covets come April.
More WNBA news:
- Wings land No. 1 overall pick for second-straight year
- Wings exec makes Caitlin Clark comparison after winning 2026 draft lottery
- Wings encouraged to pair Paige Bueckers with 'best shooter in America' after WNBA draft lottery
- Fever predicted to pair Caitlin Clark with 6'6'' star center in WNBA draft
- This is how much money Caitlin Clark would make under the WNBA's proposed CBA