The only wave Kiki Rice is following is the new one.
ESPN‘s No. 2 player in this year’s HoopGurlz rankings, 2022 Morgan Wootten Player of the Year and Gatorade National Player of the Year chose not to sign with the University of Connecticut, Tennessee, Baylor, Maryland Stanford or South Carolina programs that are considered the most elite. Instead, she signed with UCLA. She wants to be a part of the Bruins’ first women’s basketball team to win a national championship.
It falls in line with the top prospects who go to mid-majors, or nontraditional powerhouses like when No. 1 boys basketball recruit Anthony Edwards chose to go to the University of Georgia a couple of years ago. It falls in line with the likes of Travis Hunter, the No. 1 football recruit who chose to go to an HBCU and play for Deion Sander at Jackson State.
Alternative leagues and the Name, Image and Likeness bill have brought new freedoms and options to young athletes who want to advance to the professional ranks someday.
Rice spoke to rolling out in-depth about her UCLA decision and her vision for the game while with the McDonald’s All-Americans.
Why UCLA over in-state Stanford, over South Carolina or UConn?
The prospect of bringing a first national championship to the women’s side at UCLA is something that was really intriguing to me. Obviously, I could go to UConn, Stanford, a lot of the other top schools who now have had more success over recent years and just in their history, but I think bringing the first banner to Pauley Pavilion would be incredible and something super special.
The opportunity there is is is special, and it’s unique compared to a lot of the other schools that I was looking at. So I didn’t want to pass up on it.
Why do you think your generation, in particular, is not going to Kentucky, Duke, all the traditional powerhouses, but making your own path?
I think it could be because there’s a little bit of a rebellious nature and in our generation.
I think I’m not always wanting to follow in the footsteps of someone else and wanting to pave your own path is something that is intriguing for a lot of players and I totally understand that. It’s intriguing to me as well. And I think being the first that your school or bring the first championship or whatever is something that is special that you can’t get [from] a lot of these traditional powerhouse schools.
Have the All-Americans been to the Ronald McDonald House yet?
McDonald’s has done obviously a tremendous job putting on such a great event. Unfortunately, because of COVID, we weren’t able to go to the Ronald McDonald House, but we did do an activity here at the hotel.
We got to hear from a family who spent time in the Ronald McDonald House, so that was extremely touching.
