The Next Generation: KiKi Rice is an emerging star with championship goals

KiKi Rice came into UCLA as the program’s highest-ranked recruit ever. Already one of the most decorated players in the game, Rice is ready to expand her trophy case at the collegiate level.

When KiKi Rice committed to UCLA, it shocked the basketball world. A No. 2 overall recruit committing to a team that missed the NCAA Tournament? It was an unprecedented move.

Unprecedented is just how Rice operates.

Rice is entering the collegiate world at a time in which the space is evolving in, you guessed it, unprecedented ways. Name, image, and likeness rules have created limitless opportunities for young athletes. The transfer portal helps teams rebuild year after year. Players have much more freedom and control than ever before.

These changes also improve the chances of top players like Rice committing to non-traditional powers like UCLA and still succeeding. That is a large part of what drew Rice to UCLA. She told the Daily Bruin in June that “being part of the first group to bring UCLA women’s basketball a banner is something that I set my eyes on and a goal that I can set for myself and my teammates.”

If anyone can lead UCLA to that first championship, it’s KiKi Rice.

KiKi Rice has won at every level

When Rice entered Sidwell Friends as a freshman, their girls’ basketball team was ranked 1,082 in the nation. When she left, they were number one and state champions.

Each year, the team improved, and so did Rice.

As a freshman in 2018, Rice averaged 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, and the team made it to the state semifinals. She was also a member of the US FIBA U16 team that won a gold medal in 2019.

As a sophomore, she upped her average to 26.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, and the team made it to the championship game. Rice won Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year.

The COVID pandemic took away Rice’s junior year, but she returned to her winning ways her senior year. She started the season in Hungary, playing in the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Cup, where she won another gold medal. When she returned to Sidwell, Rice led the team to an undefeated season, the number one ranking, and a state championship. She was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Gatorade Athlete of the Year, and Gatorade National Player of the Year.

After her senior season ended, Rice played in the McDonald’s All-American game. She scored 17 points, and took home co-MVP honors, sharing the award with fellow UCLA commit Gabriela Jaquez. The feat was a first for the game, with the East and West MVPs both going to the same school.

Months later, Rice won her third gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Argentina. Rice led Team USA to a 6-0 record and took home tournament MVP honors after posting a stat line of 14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

After her commitment, Jordan Brand announced that Rice was their first NIL signee. Shortly after the announcement, Rice released a statement, saying “being Jordan Brand’s first NIL athlete is an incredible milestone, and I think it’s a testament to the hard work I’ve put in and all the people around me who have helped me get to this point.” Rice’s first action as a Jordan athlete was to give a pair to all of her teammates and staff at UCLA:

Part of the deal also includes Jordan committing to working with Rice in serving the community. Rice has been vocal about her work with young female athletes and in the Black community. She told Andscape that Jordan’s commitment to the community was an important factor in their partnership.

Rice brought her transformational ways to UCLA

After a disappointing previous season, UCLA came into this year unranked.

It took just three weeks for them to climb into the top 25. The week after, Rice took home her first conference Freshman of the Week award.

UCLA rolled through their non-conference schedule, going 12-1. Rice, Charisma Osborne, and Emily Bessoir emerged as a big three for the Bruins, who entered conference play ranked number 10 in the nation.

Rice found her footing quickly, too. In 13 non-conference games, she averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks. Despite her struggles shooting the three (14.3 percent in non-conference play), Rice’s exceptional efficiency inside the arc helped keep her percentages high. She shot 53.6 percent on 2-point field goals and 47.4 percent overall.

While Rice’s efficiency took a hit during conference play, her impact remained the same. Her versatility was vital for the Bruins against a tough PAC-12. She played the best game of her career against Cal, posting 15 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds in the win.

Rice finished the regular season with averages of 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She helped UCLA win 22 games, finish ranked 19th in the nation, and secure the fifth seed in the PAC-12 tournament. She was named to the conference All-Freshman team.

In UCLA’s opening-round matchup with Arizona State, Rice scored 14 points and added eight rebounds and six assists in the win. She followed that up with an 11-point, seven-assist performance against fourth-seeded Arizona, who had beaten UCLA during the regular season.

Rice had her brightest performance in UCLA’s biggest win of the season, though, in the semifinals against Stanford. Rice scored 22 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists as UCLA got the upset win.

Rice, Osborne, and Bessoir were named to the All-Tournament team after their performances. Rice averaged 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists across UCLA’s four tournament games.

Rice will have her first opportunity to win the championship this year

After missing last season’s tournament, the Bruins have their sights set on making noise in the postseason. UCLA secured a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and hosting privileges for the first two rounds. In 12 seasons under coach Cori Close, UCLA has made the Sweet 16 four times and has made the tournament in six of the last seven seasons. With Rice on the court, this season represents one of the program’s better opportunities to make the deep run that has eluded them for so long.

For Rice, this tournament represents her first chance at leading the team to a championship. It also represents the chance for her to elevate her game once again, as she did in the conference tournament, and potentially etch her freshman season in the history books.

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