Kiki Rice came off the bench in her second preseason game for the Toronto Tempo. Playing 23 minutes and having a good offensive game scoring 10 points on 4-7 shooting. Showing she is settling in nicely with the regular season right around the corner. Rice is a cornerstone piece for the Toronto franchise as they begin their WNBA franchise journey. They’re getting an elite defensive player that can run the offense well for them.
Watched the game before bed, but wanted to put together a little something on Kiki Rice.
— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) May 2, 2026
Much better driving game vs MIN compared to the opener vs CON, as it should've been.
Still some instances of killing her dribble too early, but that got much better as the game went on. pic.twitter.com/AxHlZJA0d7
Rice can defend multiple positions on the floor and do so in a zone or 1-on-1. She uses her quick feet and agility to keep up with faster players. While her strength allows her to match up with bigger opponents, that makes her a great asset to build around on the defensive end. Her efforts for UCLA in the 2025 season directly correlated with them winning the national championship. As she stepped up in every big-time moment and never backed down on any challenge against some of the top players in the nation.
Her offense grew a ton in her four years at UCLA. She used to be so hesitant in shooting the ball when she started at Westwood. But by the time she finished up her senior year she could consistently knock down jumpers and 3-point shots. Showing that her hard work ethic allowed her game to grow to a high level under head coach, Cori Close.
Kiki Rice in her 2nd WNBA Game vs the Lynx:
— ItsAllLove (@nbanerdd) May 2, 2026
10pts | 2reb | 2ast | 1steal | 22min
Elite two way player ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/bFqfRgOLAM
Rice will get some good playing time as Toronto opens up their season next week. Their first meaningful game will be against the Washington Mystics. As she gets to go head-to-head with her former UCLA teammates Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalić. It should be a very good game and one that UCLA fans can watch proudly of what all the ladies accomplished in 2025 and 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google