As the WNBA offseason is underway, the excitement for the upcoming draft is taking over significantly. And with the top colleges in the spotlight, UCLA has been featured as one of the Top 5 colleges.
And there are pretty good reasons behind the same, too. After all, UCLA is sending as many as three of its stars in the top eight of the WNBA 2026 draft. As per recent reports, Lauren Betts is slated to get the No. 1 billing while Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens will come in at the seventh and eighth spots, respectively.
However, going by the recent form exhibited in the NCAA, it looks like Betts might have some serious contenders. And in all probability, it might be Kiki Rice overtaking her for a higher seeding.
Kiki Rice Shines Bright For Lauren Betts
The Bruins registered a 99-77 win against the Volunteers this Sunday. While Betts returned to the lineup after her injury scare, she had a quiet outing. Struggling to build momentum on offense, Betts could muster only seven points.
However, it was Rice who stole the show on Sunday. Putting up an impeccable performance, Rice chipped in with 20 points to pave the way for UCLA’s win. Rice also nailed eight of her attempted 13 shots and also had a couple of steals to make things appear more rosy for her.
#UCLA's Cori Close, Gabriela Jaquez, and Kiki Rice talk about the dominant win over Tennessee, especially behind a solid game from Jaquez:https://t.co/rJIERtaajP pic.twitter.com/ObcT2hr8eQ
— Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) December 1, 2025
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And that was not all. Rice is currently boasting a rebound average of 6.9 per game. But against the volunteers, she clinched a season-high 11 rebounds.
Now then, looking at such an all-around play from Rice, teams might reconsider their decision when the WNBA draft is in play. Meanwhile, with Rice playing some incredible basketball, she is also the top guard prospect for next year.
Kiki Rice Earns UCLA Head Coach’s Praise
Rice has been on the upward graph for a consistent amount of time now. Joining UCLA’s program as the No. 2 prospect, her numbers have seen a considerable amount of improvement in recent times. For example, her accuracy has gone up to 53% while shooting two-pointers and up to 35% for three-pointers.
Owing to such a stellar show, Rice had her coach, Cori Close, heap praises on her. “Kiki is incredibly hard-working in a way that has been contagious in building the character of our program. People comment all the time when they come and watch us from the WNBA, that our preparation and work ethic is maybe unmatched in what they’ve seen. That’s because Kiki Rice set a new standard in our program, and I’ll be forever grateful for that,” Close said on Media Day.
Surely, it is evident that things are looking pretty rosy for Rice. Now, fans are eager to see whether teams pick her ahead of Betts in the WNBA draft.