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UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez left an impression on a soccer commentator
- Story byUCLA Wire
- UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez left an impression on a soccer commentator
Winning an NCAA title has done a lot to spread the word out about UCLA Bruins women's basketball. The latest example of how popular UCLA's team is culturally came on Tuesday, with French soccer broadcaster Thierry Henry referencing the Bruins playstyle during CBS' coverage of the UEFA Champions League .
Henry, who's the top goal scorer in Arsenal F.C. history, was speaking of what it takes to win in sports, and UCLA came to mind. Henry's long-winded explanation of the NCAA tournament was amusing to his co-hosts but it was apparent that the Bruins left an impression on Henry.
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UCLA wasn't the only NCAA championship team getting some love from Henry. The Michigan Wolverines also had their resilience praised for holding off the Arizona Wildcats on the men's side.
"I watched the other day, the NCAA tournament. Whether it was the men's final, the women's final. You saw two teams in the men's final that were not playing great basketball. But the effort of Michigan brought them over the line," Henry said of Michigan. "Then you watch the women's final before, you see UCLA beating South Carolina. No one thought that was going to happen.
No Bruin caught Henry's eye more than UCLA wing Gabriela Jaquez. Henry compared Jaquez to Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente.
"You mention Marcos Llorente, I don't know if you guys watched it, but the way Gabriela Jaquez played. And we can talk about Lauren Betts and Kiki," Henry said to the rest of the panel, who didn't seem to follow his train of thought. "The way Gabriela Jaquez played that night reminded me of how UCLA won their title. If you don't play as a team, even if you're great players, you're not going to win."
Jaquez was drafted on Monday fifth overall to the Chicago Sky , so Henry's compliment might not be the highlight of her week but it's a fun shout out nonetheless. A deserving one too, anyone who saw Jaquez's championship game performance came away impressed, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to clinch the Bruins first-ever NCAA title.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA's team-first attitude impressed soccer commentator Thierry Henry
