Montgomery County’s Kiki Rice is heading to the national championship after helping UCLA secure a 51-44 win over Texas in the women’s Final Four.
Rice finished with 11 points and five rebounds in the victory, continuing her steady impact on both ends of the floor as the Bruins punched their ticket to the NCAA title game. UCLA will face South Carolina on Sunday at 3:30pm, with South Carolina listed as an early 1.5-point favorite as of Friday night.
Rice has emerged as one of the premier point guards in college basketball since arriving at UCLA in 2022. She has started nearly every game of her collegiate career, consistently leading the team in assists while maintaining double-digit scoring averages.
During the 2025-26 season, Rice elevated her game even further, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game and earning Third Team AP All-American honors. Before becoming a standout on the national stage, Rice built her foundation in Bethesda after moving to the area in 2007. She starred at Sidwell Friends School in DC, where she helped lead the program to a No. 1 national ranking and an undefeated season during her senior year.
Her high school resume is among 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 took home 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 in the nation by espnW HoopGurlz.
In addition to her basketball dominance, Rice excelled on the soccer field, earning multiple Gatorade District of Columbia Player of the Year honors and leading Sidwell Friends to two state titles.
