How Ucla Guard Kiki Rice Became The Bruins' Ace And Top Wnba Draft Prospect

The WNBA will apt get an injection of UCLA talent. One of nan players astir equipped to make an effect correct away, it turns out, mightiness beryllium Kiki Rice.

Some mock drafts person nan elder defender arsenic precocious arsenic being picked No. 5 wide aft concerns she mightiness autumn retired of nan first information wholly earlier this season.

After a career-best season, though, Rice is 1 of nan apical prospects successful a loaded class. That wasn’t a fixed aft taking a measurement backmost successful each statistic different than shooting past season.

The No. 1 seed Bruins are hoping to thrust that to a nationalist title, pinch nan adjacent measurement coming Saturday against No. 16 seed California Baptist successful nan first information of nan NCAA tournament. Tipoff is astatine 7 p.m. astatine Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA defender Kiki Rice shoots complete Ohio State defender Jaloni Cambridge during nan semifinals of nan Big Ten tourney connected March 7 successful Indianapolis.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

WNBA scouts are hoping Rice proves she tin beryllium 1 of nan champion early first-round investments successful nan league.

“The activity she did connected her mentality, movie study, pinch leadership, utilizing her voice, moving connected her handles, I conscionable deliberation it’s her committedness to nan details,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “I’m not amazed that she’s playing this measurement because of nan intentional activity that she puts in.”

A Big Ten All-Defensive Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team action this season, Rice is averaging profession highs successful points (15.3), rebounds (6.0) and shooting percent (50.4%). Her assistance numbers person dropped since nan summation of Charlisse Leger-Walker, but that’s allowed Rice to create her ain offense.

“I deliberation 1 of nan things that Kiki’s been capable to do is person different kinds of scoring catches this twelvemonth because of Charlisse’s beingness connected our team,” Close said. “But I do deliberation nan biggest point has astir apt been her passing, her facilitation, arsenic good arsenic her expertise to shoot.”

WNBA scouts person taken notice, too. One evaluator said her expertise to play pinch a “group of weapons” has group herself up to beryllium taken earnestly for a larger domiciled moreover arsenic a rookie. For a agelong time, among those scouting successful nan league, she was viewed arsenic a imaginable backup constituent guard, but her shooting expertise and protect consistency has made her a much complete prospect.

Her 2.2 protect triumph shares are 3rd successful nan Big Ten and her 83.0 protect standing is seventh.

“I worked a ton of [defense] successful nan offseason and really stepped up to nan situation of guarding nan different team’s champion perimeter player,” Rice said. “I deliberation maine being challenged successful that way, it’s been a really awesome area of growth, and that’s astir apt nan area that I’m astir proud of.”

Rice’s betterment from nan three-point statement is simply a large 1 for WNBA scouts. She improved her heavy changeable from 21.7% to 38.1% crossed 4 seasons.

UCLA defender Kiki Rice steals nan shot from Washington defender Chloe Briggs astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Feb. 19.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

That, positive her protect prowess and expertise to play constituent defender and much of a loose defender role, person helped her WNBA banal emergence tremendously.

“Defensively has been astir apt nan astir impactful maturation point that she’s had,” Close said. “But Kiki — group don’t recognize she was retired for six months. She had room connected April 15th past twelvemonth and was retired for six months.”

Rice was injured astatine nan commencement of past play and past underwent correct enarthrosis room correct aft nan Final Four. Despite nan injury, she played successful 34 games past season, averaging 12.8 points and 5.0 assists per game.

Rice won nan Big Ten tournament’s astir outstanding subordinate grant aft UCLA thrashed Iowa by 51 points successful nan championship. She averaged 16.6 points and 5.3 assists during 3 Big Ten tourney games.

Her numbers mightiness beryllium moreover amended if she were nan team’s apical violative option, for illustration Hannah Hidalgo pinch Notre Dame. Instead, she is sharing clip pinch different apical WNBA prospects specified arsenic Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens and Leger-Walker.

“What I emotion astir is she’s 1 of nan astir selfless group I’ve ever played with,” Betts said of Rice. “She really could [not] attraction little astir each of nan attention. She conscionable wants to triumph games. She’s ever location for her teammates. I’m truthful grateful I get to beryllium her teammate and her friend. She’s amazing.”

In summation to her three-point changeable improvement, astir 60% of her points still travel successful nan overgarment from driving to nan basket, making her a threat each complete nan floor.

“There were tons of times successful erstwhile years wherever Kiki could get downhill, but we didn’t person nan tribunal spacing because we didn’t person nan value of shooting that allowed those driving lanes to return place,” Close said.

UCLA defender Kiki Rice shoots complete USC defender Malia Samuels astatine Pauley Pavilion connected Jan. 3.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

The biggest mobility pinch Rice is whether her three-point shooting tin standard to a higher measurement successful nan WNBA, wherever guards are much apt to sprout from heavy than beryllium relied connected successful nan post. She has ne'er taken much than 2.7 attempts per game.

Part of that is because location are truthful galore options from three-point scope that Rice doesn’t person to beryllium nan superior shooter. Kneepkens is making 44.2% of her three-pointers and Gabriela Jaquez has deed 41.1% while Leger-Walker is shooting 36.4% from range.

That hasn’t affected Rice’s efficiency, though.

“I deliberation this twelvemonth nan measurement that we moved nan shot and everyone gets touches is truthful important for everyone and allows maine to beryllium successful,” Rice said.

UCLA defender Kiki Rice celebrates pinch teammates arsenic she’s handed nan Big Ten tourney astir outstanding subordinate trophy connected March 8 successful Indianapolis.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

With nan measurement nan draught bid falls, Rice is apt to extremity up pinch either an description squad aliases a squad that struggled past season, specified arsenic Washington aliases Chicago. That mightiness mean she’ll request to measurement successful and nutrient successful her first play arsenic a pro.

That is why her banal has risen truthful overmuch this play — she’s shown she has nan versatility to do what is needed.

“Kiki has been playing nan champion hoops of her career,” Close said. “I deliberation she has put successful nan work. She knows what she’s earned, and she’s benignant of ‘that girl’ for us.”