Montgomery County’s Kiki Rice has reached the top of the college basketball world. Rice helped lead UCLA to a dominant 79-51 win over fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina in the national championship, finishing with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the title-clinching victory.
The championship caps off an incredible run for Rice and the Bruins, who advanced to the title game after a 51-44 win over Texas in the Final Four. Rice scored 11 points in that game, continuing her steady, all-around impact as one of the team’s leaders.
Since arriving at UCLA in 2022, Rice has developed into one of the premier point guards in college basketball. She has started nearly every game of her career, consistently leading the Bruins in assists while maintaining double-digit scoring.
During the 2025-26 season, she took another leap, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game and earning Third Team AP All-American honors.
Rice’s roots are firmly tied to the local area. After moving to Bethesda in 2007, she became a standout at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., where she led the program to a No. 1 national ranking and an undefeated season.
Her high school career was one of the most decorated in recent memory. Rice earned eight varsity letters across basketball and soccer, was named Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year and Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2021-22, and won Naismith High School Player of the Year honors. She was also a McDonald’s All-American, co-MVP of the All-American Game, and ranked No. 2 overall nationally by espnW HoopGurlz.
She also excelled in soccer, earning multiple Gatorade District of Columbia Player of the Year honors and leading Sidwell Friends to two state titles. Now, she adds national champion to an already remarkable resume.
