Jaquez, Kneepkens Begin Women’s AmeriCup Saturday
June 25, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Rising senior Gabriela Jaquez and graduate transfer Gianna Kneepkens begin competition at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile, on Saturday, June 28.
Jaquez will be representing Mexico for the second-consecutive summer after playing in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament last August. Kneepkens will make her first-ever appearance on Team USA at this summer's Women's AmeriCup; she was included on the roster announced by USA Basketball on June 19.
All games will be broadcast on Courtside 1891. For more information about the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, click here.
Group B
The five teams in Group B at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup are Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States.
Both Bruins will be in Group B for the international tournament; group phase begins on Saturday with host Chile versus the United States. The top eight teams through the group stage will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, July 4, in hopes of competing for the championship on Sunday, July 6.
Team Mexico - Schedule
The 2025 Mexico Women's AmeriCup Team starts its time at the tournament on the second day of competition, taking on host country Chile to Sunday. Mexico will then see Colombia and Puerto Rico before they meet USA next Wednesday; the full game schedule can be found here.
Sunday, June 29
Mexico vs. Chile – 2:40 p.m. PT
Monday, June 30
Mexico vs. Colombia – 2:40 p.m. PT
Tuesday, July 1
Mexico vs. Puerto Rico – 2:40 p.m. PT
Wednesday, July 2
Mexico vs. USA – 11:10 a.m. PT
Team USA - Schedule
The 2025 USA Women's AmeriCup Team will open Group B with host nation Chile, followed by Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The full schedule is available here. The winner of the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup will earn a berth to the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup, set to be held in Berlin next summer.
Since the event's inception in 1993, the United States has captured four AmeriCup gold medals, including titles in 2019 and 2021.
Saturday, June 28
USA vs. Chile – 5:25 p.m. PT
Sunday, June 29
USA vs. Colombia – 5:10 p.m. PT
Monday, June 30
USA vs. Puerto Rico – 5:10 p.m. PT
Wednesday, July 2
USA vs. Mexico – 11:10 a.m. PT
Jaquez in 2024-25
A career year for the junior, starting 33 of her 36 appearances… Averaged career-bests in field goal percentage (.523 FG%) and 3-point percentage (.348 3FG%)… Scored 9.6 points and collected 5.3 rebounds per game, playing 23.0 minutes per appearance… Finished the year with 34 turnovers, less than one per game… Had multiple turnovers in just eight games during her junior campaign… Put together a strong fourth quarter (11 PTS, 5-6 FG) to help close out the win against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5… Scored UCLA's first basket off a layup in each of the Bruins' three wins at the 2025 Big Ten Tournament…. Got into double figures 15 times this season, including a season-high 23 points against Nebraska in the opening round of the conference tournament… Recorded a double-double against No. 25 Baylor (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5-8 FG)… Showed marked improvement at the free throw line, shooting .826 at the charity stripe this year… Honors: Big Ten Winter Academic Honor Roll… Rainbow Wahine Showdown All-Tournament Team… Spokane 1 Regional All-Region Team… All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Media).
Kneepkens in 2024-25
A Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Candidate, and named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team as well as named to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist… Named Big 12 Player of the Week after posting back-to-back 30 point games including a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25)… Against Kansas, Kneepkens was on the brink of a triple-double as she combined 30 points with 10 rebounds, for her first double-double of the season; also posted a season-high eight assists… Logged three 30 point games this season. Most recently she tied her career-high 32 points against UCF (2/8/25)… Hit nine other 20-point games this season with the most recent when she scored 23 points against Texas Tech (3/6/25)…. Knocked down three or more three pointers in 17 games this season and Utah was 14-3 in those games… Averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.03 apg and 1.03 spg… Shot 50.4 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from the three and 89.0 percent from the line… Led the team in made three pointers (94-of-210) and made free throws (121-of-136)… Ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (89.0)… Finished the season at No. 44 in the nation in scoring with 599 total points on the season and No. 29 in points per game with 19.3… Ended the season in the Top 15 in every three point shooting category… No. 12 in the nation in three pointers made with 94, No. 12 in the nation in three point percentage (44.8) and No. 8 in the nation in three pointers made per game (3.03)… Had 248 total made three pointers in her Utah career… Sits at No. 3 on the school all-time threes made list… Became the seventh Ute in school history to hit the 200 milestone… Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (11/28/23)… She now has 1,621 career points… Has recorded four double-doubles in her career, most recently against Arizona State (2/15/25) with 24 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Before that against Kansas (1/22/25) she had 30 points and 10 rebounds. Previously, both occurred in the 2022-23 season, against Cal (1/22) with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Washington State (2/12), she recorded a career high 13 rebounds and put up 14 points.
Jaquez will be representing Mexico for the second-consecutive summer after playing in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pre-Qualifying Tournament last August. Kneepkens will make her first-ever appearance on Team USA at this summer's Women's AmeriCup; she was included on the roster announced by USA Basketball on June 19.
All games will be broadcast on Courtside 1891. For more information about the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, click here.
Group B
The five teams in Group B at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup are Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States.
Both Bruins will be in Group B for the international tournament; group phase begins on Saturday with host Chile versus the United States. The top eight teams through the group stage will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, July 4, in hopes of competing for the championship on Sunday, July 6.
Team Mexico - Schedule
The 2025 Mexico Women's AmeriCup Team starts its time at the tournament on the second day of competition, taking on host country Chile to Sunday. Mexico will then see Colombia and Puerto Rico before they meet USA next Wednesday; the full game schedule can be found here.
Sunday, June 29
Mexico vs. Chile – 2:40 p.m. PT
Monday, June 30
Mexico vs. Colombia – 2:40 p.m. PT
Tuesday, July 1
Mexico vs. Puerto Rico – 2:40 p.m. PT
Wednesday, July 2
Mexico vs. USA – 11:10 a.m. PT
Team USA - Schedule
The 2025 USA Women's AmeriCup Team will open Group B with host nation Chile, followed by Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The full schedule is available here. The winner of the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup will earn a berth to the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup, set to be held in Berlin next summer.
Since the event's inception in 1993, the United States has captured four AmeriCup gold medals, including titles in 2019 and 2021.
Saturday, June 28
USA vs. Chile – 5:25 p.m. PT
Sunday, June 29
USA vs. Colombia – 5:10 p.m. PT
Monday, June 30
USA vs. Puerto Rico – 5:10 p.m. PT
Wednesday, July 2
USA vs. Mexico – 11:10 a.m. PT
Jaquez in 2024-25
A career year for the junior, starting 33 of her 36 appearances… Averaged career-bests in field goal percentage (.523 FG%) and 3-point percentage (.348 3FG%)… Scored 9.6 points and collected 5.3 rebounds per game, playing 23.0 minutes per appearance… Finished the year with 34 turnovers, less than one per game… Had multiple turnovers in just eight games during her junior campaign… Put together a strong fourth quarter (11 PTS, 5-6 FG) to help close out the win against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 5… Scored UCLA's first basket off a layup in each of the Bruins' three wins at the 2025 Big Ten Tournament…. Got into double figures 15 times this season, including a season-high 23 points against Nebraska in the opening round of the conference tournament… Recorded a double-double against No. 25 Baylor (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5-8 FG)… Showed marked improvement at the free throw line, shooting .826 at the charity stripe this year… Honors: Big Ten Winter Academic Honor Roll… Rainbow Wahine Showdown All-Tournament Team… Spokane 1 Regional All-Region Team… All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Media).
Kneepkens in 2024-25
A Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Candidate, and named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team as well as named to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist… Named Big 12 Player of the Week after posting back-to-back 30 point games including a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25)… Against Kansas, Kneepkens was on the brink of a triple-double as she combined 30 points with 10 rebounds, for her first double-double of the season; also posted a season-high eight assists… Logged three 30 point games this season. Most recently she tied her career-high 32 points against UCF (2/8/25)… Hit nine other 20-point games this season with the most recent when she scored 23 points against Texas Tech (3/6/25)…. Knocked down three or more three pointers in 17 games this season and Utah was 14-3 in those games… Averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.03 apg and 1.03 spg… Shot 50.4 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from the three and 89.0 percent from the line… Led the team in made three pointers (94-of-210) and made free throws (121-of-136)… Ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (89.0)… Finished the season at No. 44 in the nation in scoring with 599 total points on the season and No. 29 in points per game with 19.3… Ended the season in the Top 15 in every three point shooting category… No. 12 in the nation in three pointers made with 94, No. 12 in the nation in three point percentage (44.8) and No. 8 in the nation in three pointers made per game (3.03)… Had 248 total made three pointers in her Utah career… Sits at No. 3 on the school all-time threes made list… Became the seventh Ute in school history to hit the 200 milestone… Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (11/28/23)… She now has 1,621 career points… Has recorded four double-doubles in her career, most recently against Arizona State (2/15/25) with 24 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Before that against Kansas (1/22/25) she had 30 points and 10 rebounds. Previously, both occurred in the 2022-23 season, against Cal (1/22) with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Washington State (2/12), she recorded a career high 13 rebounds and put up 14 points.
Players Mentioned
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