LAS VEGAS — There’s something to be said about carrying a specific aura as the leader of a team.
Chemistry comes easier. Trust can be built. Calm can settle chaos.
It takes someone special, with a composed and confident presence, to bring it altogether and create a championship atmosphere.
UCLA senior Kira Carroll Rice is her.
It’s not to take away from Lauren Betts, who has been the star of UCLA since arriving in Westwood via transfer from Stanford. And it’s not to slight sharpshooting Gabriel Jaquez, who has undoubtedly emerged as one of the nation’s hottest scorers.Â
But rest assured of one thing: Rice has been the heart and soul of UCLA women’s basketball since her freshman season, the 2022-23 campaign.
“She has a standard of excellence that is not only unmatched, it’s contagious,” Bruins coach Cori Close said. “Kiki makes you grow as a coach because she’s pushing, ‘How can I get better here? What’s happening here?’
“I think she pushes me to get better every day, just because she’s pushing herself to get better. And the great thing about her is it’s always under the context of, ‘How do we help our team win?’ And when you have someone as selfless and as hard working as that, you got something special.”
Rice, who finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists to help the fourth-ranked Bruins in Tuesday’s 115-28 thrashing of Cal Poly, leads UCLA with 15.2 points per game, while also averaging 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
It was yet another performance that demonstrated her natural ability as one of the nation’s premier point guards who can see the floor, dish the rock, shoot from anywhere on the court and command respect from anyone who dares step foot on the Nell and John Wooden Court inside Pauley Pavilion.
During UCLA’s recent trips to Las Vegas for separate events in November, Rice shared some time with The Sporting Tribune.
The texts come out of nowhere, but Close has become used to Rice’s messages with links to YouTube videos or social media clips that beckon future conversations between the veteran coach and her pupil.
Whether they’re highlight reels from WNBA or NBA games she sees, or a meaningful press conference that delivered a strong message, Close has a deeper appreciation for Rice’s carnal knowledge of the sport she grew up playing, along with soccer, and continues to master as a do-it-all guard.
When Rice sent Close a video of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s general manager last month, it turned into a team film session.
“Sometimes we use it, sometimes we won’t, but just having that dialog with coach Cori, I think it really helps our connection,” Rice said. “And it’s just like, we both really like to talk about basketball, so why not do it?”
Rice, who uses a sports psychologist for a better understanding of life and of her sport, said getting a grasp of things mentally is helping her maximize her final season in college.
“So much of the game is mental, and at this level, everyone’s going to be talented,” Rice said. “So, little edges that you can have against your opponents, I think just being really strong mentally and being consistent and strong in who you are, knowing your value both on and off the court, is something that is going to be important.
Rice said her pure love for the sport leads her to watch any game she can tune into, whether it’s the NBA, WNBA, men’s or women’s college basketball – if there’s a game on, she said, there’s a lesson to learn.
And she has plenty of scraps of handwritten notes to prove it.
“We’ve grown a lot together, and just seeing her growth firsthand has been amazing,” said Jaquez, who shared the MVP award from the McDonald’s All-American Game with Rice when the two were outgoing high school seniors. “Obviously, she’s a great person, a very good student as well, and obviously an amazing athlete. Just super proud of her and (who) she’s becoming.”
There’s a mixed bag of feedback on Rice among critics and analysts on whether she fits in the WNBA.
Fortunately for her, critics aren’t the ones scouting and taking notes for the 2026 WNBA Draft.
A collection of opinions from several WNBA coaches and front office executives all shot down the notion that Rice can’t play at the next level.
“Is someone really out there saying something negative about Kiki?” asked one WNBA coach, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, when told of a recent podcast host who didn’t see Rice as a difference maker in the league. “Kiki can do a lot of special things with her size. She sees the court well, she knows what the other nine players on the court are doing, she has a keen eye for the basket and she never takes a possession for granted.”
Added one WNBA scout: “She’s got all the tools needed. She’s pro-ready now.”
When UCLA held its pro day with every WNBA team in attendance, Close said the feedback was that Rice’s work ethic already mirrored that of professionals.
“I’m a big believer that championships are a byproduct of who they are becoming and who they’re impacting,” Close said. “And our hope is that a byproduct of those great choices, those character growth things that they choose and they work so hard for, yields the uncommon result of a national championship.
“But we always want that to pale in comparison to who they’re becoming and who they’re impacting, because that, they will keep forever.”
Jordin Canada, who finished her career first in UCLA history in assists (831), second in points (2,153) and fifth in 20-point games (42), said she’s been impressed by Rice’s growth since her freshman year.
“I can tell that she has matured in her leadership and her ability to think the game differently,” said Canada, currently a member of the Atlanta Dream. “You can tell the game has slowed down for her and she’s taking her time. She’s not rushing like she has in the past.”
And when it comes to current opponents, Rice has the attention and utmost respect of her peers.
“She does all of it,” Texas point guard Rori Harmon said after the Longhorns defeated UCLA in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. “She’s a really smart player. When you come across those really smart players, the angles, the reads of the paths, the cuts, everything they do is something I really have to pay attention to. Not that they just put their head down and go, but they’re really smart about everything they do.”
Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune
UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) drives during an NCAA basketball game against Cal Poly on Dec. 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Until she begins thinking about her future, though, Rice has one last goal to accomplish. It’s something she’s had in mind since earning national player of the year honors as a senior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. It’s something she had in mind when committing to UCLA, which she revealed when she first sat down with The Sporting Tribune, in March of 2023.
Rice, and Close for that matter, knew she could’ve chosen any powerhouse program – from UConn to South Carolina to Stanford – but decided on UCLA for one reason: “I really want to bring UCLA its first national championship and I’m excited to do that.”
And each year of her career, she’s inched the Bruins closer, including a trip to last season’s Final Four, where they lost to Paige Bueckers and eventual champion Connecticut.
And the sting of that 85-51 thumping from UConn remains. As does her goal for her Bruins.
“It’s always been the goal, and it will always be the goal,” Rice said. “And I think every single year we’ve seen the program take steps towards that and just foster and create that winning culture that we have here at UCLA. We have so many fantastic coaches and players that we’ve been able to bring in here. So just focusing on how we can be the best versions of ourselves every day is going to be what leads us to the national championship.”
It’s certainly not out of the question, with the experience and talent UCLA will take into Big Ten play come January.
Tuesday saw the debut of freshman Sienna Betts, the No. 2 recruit in the country, who missed the start of the season due to a leg injury suffered during the preseason. Plus, UCLA is still without forward Timea Gardiner.
It’s the collection of talent the Bruins have that keeps Rice humble, knowing she doesn’t have to carry the weight on her shoulders. She also knows she never has to worry about taking over games, but rather moments that can sway momentum and allow her teammates to collectively seize control.
“I think that’s what it’s all about, especially when you have the kind of team that we have,” Rice said. “We have so many different players that can score at different levels, that can score at different times, and I don’t feel the pressure to have to go out there and score 25 every night. I don’t feel like I have to make every single shot for us to win. I feel like I can let the game come to me.
“I’m just excited about the process that we have going on and the improvements and how much better we’ve gotten over these last few years. The season is definitely going to be special. We have a fantastic team, and I’m just excited to see all that we do.”
Yes, there’s something special about that type of aura to provide the glue a championship-caliber team needs.
Kira Carroll Rice is her.