Jordan Brand has signed its first NIL in MoCo’s Kiki Rice, one of the most decorated players from the class of 2022. NIL allows college athletes to earn money off of their name, image, and likeness. The Bethesda resident stands at 5’11” and is an incoming freshman at UCLA. She joins a decorated roster of women athletes on Jordan Brand. “Being Jordan Brand’s first NIL athlete is an incredible milestone, and I think it’s a testament to the hard work I’ve put in and all the people around me who have helped me get to this point,” says Rice. “Signing with the Jordan Brand is another motivating factor for me to continue to work hard and achieve my goals.”
Kiki Rice, the No. 2 women’s basketball recruit in the Class of 2022, was named the 2022 Naismith Girls’ High School Player of the Year. Rice helped lead Sidwell Friends to an undefeated record and #1 ranking in the nation. Named for the inventor of the game, the Naismith award is considered among the highest—if not the highest—award in high school and college basketball. “My teammates and my coaches played a huge role in me getting this award,” Rice said in an article on the Sidwell Friends website. “It’s an individual award, but someone who isn’t on a great team and who isn’t being pushed every day is not going to win this award.”
As a freshman in 2018-19, she started in all 20 games played and averaged 21.7 ppg., 11.0 rpg., 7.5 apg., 2.6 spg. and 1.4 bpg. to help her team to a 20-6 record and the state tournament semifinals. She was named the D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year, and hasn’t played a full season until this year due to Covid restrictions. As a member of the 2019 USA U16 National Team, Rice averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to help the USA to a 6-0 record and gold medal June 16-22 in Puerto Aysen, Chile.
Her father, John Rice, played basketball at Yale, her mother, Andrea Rice played tennis at Yale, and her cousin Allan Houston played basketball at the University of Tennessee and in the NBA for the New York Knicks. Rice has chosen to continue her education and basketball career at UCLA next year.
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