On October 25, 2016, it was reported that Rodriguez had signed with WWE and reported to the WWE Performance Center. She made her in-ring debut on January 20, 2017 at an NXT live event, where she was unsuccessful in winning a 12-woman battle royal. On the May 3 episode of NXT, she made her first television appearance in a losing effort where she was eliminated during a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship. Under the name Reina González, she competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament, where she was eliminated during the first round by Nicole Savoy, which aired on August 28. González would compete again in the tournament in 2018, where she once again was eliminated in the first round by Kacy Catanzaro. On February 16, 2020 at NXT TakeOver: Portland, González made her first televised appearance since the Mae Young Classic under the ring name Raquel González, where she interfered a street fight between Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox by slamming Nox through the table, allowing Kai to pin Nox for the win, establishing herself as a heel in the process. Following TakeOver, González became Kai's bodyguard, helping her win her matches. González had her first pay-per-view match on June 7 at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, where she teamed with Candice LeRae and Kai, losing to the team of Mia Yim, Nox and Shotzi Blackheart in a six-woman tag team match. Afterwards, González went on a short hiatus, but returned on the August 19 episode of NXT, helping Kai attack NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai. At NXT TakeOver: XXX three days later, after Kai was unsuccessful against Shirai, Rhea Ripley confronted González, beginning a rivalry. González and Kai defeated Ripley and Shirai on the following episode of NXT after interference from Mercedes Martinez, however, González lost to Ripley at NXT: Halloween Havoc on October 28. Into November, Kai and González aligned with LeRae and Toni Storm, resulting in a WarGames match against Blackheart, Ember Moon, Shirai, and Ripley at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on December 6, which González won after pinning Shirai. Afterwards, González resumed her rivalry with Ripley, defeating her in a Last Woman Standing match at NXT: New Year's Evil on January 6, 2021 to end the feud. Kai and González then took part in the inaugural women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The duo defeated Aliyah and Jessi Kamea in the first round, and Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter in the semifinals, before defeating Blackheart and Moon at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day on February 14 to win the tournament. As a result of their win, they received a match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler on March 3, 2021; the match ended in controversy, with Jax and Baszler winning the match by pinning Kai despite her not being tagged in. A the result, González and Kai were crowned the inaugural NXT Women's Tag Team Champions the following week, the first title in González's career; however, they would lose the titles forty-eight minutes later in their first title defense, having been challenged by Blackheart and Moon, who won the titles.
On April 7, 2021, on the first night of NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver, González defeated Io Shirai to become the new NXT Women's Champion. Later, on May 11, she defeated Mercedes Martinez to defend her title for the first time. After the show, González started showing signs of a face turn by showing Martinez respect, much to the annoyance of Kai. On May 25, Raquel and Dakota went up against Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart and lost; after the match, Raquel brutally attacked Shotzi while Dakota forced Ember to watch. On June 13, at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Raquel defeated Ember Moon to retain the title. At NXT Halloween Havoc, González lost the NXT Women's Championship to Mandy Rose in a Trick or Street Fight match, thanks to the returning Dakota Kai's interference, ending her reign at 202 days. At NXT New Year's Evil on January 4, 2022, Gonzalez failed to regain the title in a triple threat match also involving Cora Jade, who Rose pinned to retain the title.
On the March 29 episode of NXT 2.0, after Toxic Attraction took out Wendy Choo, Dakota Kai attacked the group and would be assisted by a returning González, whom Kai embraced afterwards, thus completing her face turn for the first time since November 2019. It was then announced that Kai and González would take on Toxic Attraction members Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship during the kickoff pre-show of NXT Stand and Deliver, in which they were successful. In their first title defense on the following episode of NXT 2.0, Kai and Gonzalez lost the titles back to Toxic Attraction due to Mandy Rose’s interference.
On the April 8 edition of SmackDown, González debuted in a backstage segment under the new ring name Raquel Rodriguez. She would make her in-ring debut on the April 29 edition of SmackDown in a winning effort. On the May 13 edition of SmackDown, Rodriguez answered Ronda Rousey's open challenge for the SmackDown Women's Championship. However, Rodriguez would fail to win the title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez would qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match by defeating Shayna Baszler. At the event, she would be unsuccessful in the titular match. On the August 29 edition of Raw, Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky to win the vacant WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. On the September 12 episode of Raw, they lost the titles to Kai and Sky, ending their reign at fourteen days. After Shotzi saved Rodriguez from an attack by Damage Control, they challenged Kai and Sky for the titles on the October 21 episode of SmackDown, but were unsuccessful after Bayley distracted Shotzi. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez competed in a six-pack challenge to determine the number one contender to Ronda Rousey's SmackDown Women's Championship, which was won by Shotzi. On the December 23 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez won a gauntlet match to become the number one contender to Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. The following week on SmackDown, Rodriguez failed to win the title after interference from Shayna Baszler.
Rodriguez entered her first Royal Rumble match at the titular event on January 28, 2023. She entered at number twenty-two and eliminated Nia Jax, Lacey Evans, and Piper Niven before being eliminated by eventual winner Rhea Ripley. On the Raw after WrestleMania 39, Rodriguez teamed up with Liv Morgan for a number one contender’s match to the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships; she and Morgan defeated Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai. Both Rodriguez and Morgan would go on to win and become the new Women's Tag Team Champions the following week on Raw. On the April 21 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez and Morgan would retain their titles against Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green. As part of the 2023 WWE Draft, Rodriguez, along with Morgan, was drafted to Raw. On the May 19 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez and Morgan vacated the titles due to Morgan suffering an injury, ending their reign at 39 days. On the May 29 episode of Raw, Rodriguez and her new tag team partner, Shotzi, failed to win the vacant WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. On the June 19 episode of Raw, Rodriguez lost the qualifying match for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match by disqualification to Trish Stratus when Becky Lynch attacked Stratus halfway through the match. On the June 23 episode of SmackDown, after reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler defeated NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to unify the titles, Rodriguez and a returning Liv Morgan challenged Rousey and Baszler for the titles at Money in the Bank. At Money in the Bank, Rodriguez and Morgan captured WWE Women's Tag Team Championship after Baszler turned on Rousey. On the July 17 edition of Raw, Rodriguez and Morgan lost the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships to Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green, ending their second reign at sixteen days. On the August 21 episode of Raw, Rodriguez attacked Rhea Ripley, announcing she was medically cleared for in-ring action and would face Ripley for the Women’s World Championship at Payback. At the event, Rodriguez would be unsuccessful. On the September 11 episode of Raw, Rodriguez failed to win the title from Ripley in a rematch after interference from the returning Nia Jax. At Crown Jewel on November 4, Rodriguez once again competed for the title in a fatal-five way match but was unsuccessful. After a two-month hiatus, Rodriguez returned on the February 19 episode of Raw, winning a Last Chance battle royal by last eliminating Chelsea Green to earn the sixth and final spot in the women's Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber: Perth. She would, however, fail at the event after being eliminated by Bianca Belair. On March 18, she went on hiatus again
After a seven-month hiatus, Rodriguez returned on October 5 at Bad Blood and attacked Rhea Ripley, helping Liv Morgan retain the Women's World Championship while becoming the newest member of The Judgment Day, turning heel for the first time since 2021 and for the first time on the main roster.