Is Kiki Rice the Best NCAA Player Right Now? Assessing 19YO Star vs Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Others

No. 2 UCLA defeated rated teams UConn, Florida State, and Ohio State on the road while going unbeaten throughout their nonconference play. As the Bruins are ready to embark on their greatest challenge yet, Kiki Rice rose through the ranks as UCLA’s highest-ranked recruit ever as a sophomore. She was the best point guard in the 2022 class, a five-star recruit, and the second-best player overall. For UCLA, Kiki Rice added 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Rice has a history of athletics and a deep love for basketball.

Both her father, John, and brother, Teo, were basketball players for Yale throughout their college careers. This basketball DNA is making her a new talent in town. Given her incredible basketball resume, does the 19-year-old truly pose a danger to NCAA super players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Caitlin?

Does Kiki Rice pose a threat to Caitlin Clark?

The 2023–24 women’s college basketball season has been filled with suspense. There have been significant upsets, unexpected team performances, and rookies making a splash on the national stage. The race for national player of the year is wide open, much like the path to the national championship in Cleveland.

One player who stands out is Clark. Despite losing two players from last year’s national title game run, Clark’s dominating performances have helped the Hawkeyes maintain a top-five rating. She is the presumed No. 1 overall choice in the 2024 WNBA draft and has a strong case for a repeat.

However, we cannot ignore the exceptional performances of others. Kiki Rice has been outstanding, particularly in the Cayman Islands Classic. She led the team to their first-ever victory over the Huskies. Despite Paige Buecker’s impressive 31-point performance, the Huskies suffered their second defeat of the year.

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The game-changing moment came from UCLA guard who nearly achieved a triple-double with a career-high 24 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. She truly had a breakthrough performance. But that isn’t enough to justify that Kiki Rice is going to take over Caitlin Clark, as she has to climb a long ladder to sweep out every single accolade that Clark has made.

The stand of Kiki Rice before Angel Reese

In her debut season at UCLA, Rice had an impressive average of 11.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Her outstanding performance earned her a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. As the second-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, she followed closely behind Betts. One of Rice’s standout games was when she scored a season-high 22 points in an unexpected victory against Stanford during the Pac-12 tournament semifinals.

In recognition of her talent, she received the prestigious Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 2022. Rice had a successful first year with UCLA, helping the team advance to the Sweet 16. Despite being part of the nation’s second-ranked squad, the 5-foot-11 point guard has already made a name for herself this season.

Her performance in the Women’s Cayman Islands Classic championship game against No. 6 UConn was truly remarkable. It is worth noting that Angel Reese was absent during the Cayman Classics, allowing Rice to shine. The Bayou Barbie has established a strong reputation in NCAA basketball, but Rice is making her own mark.

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Although Rice missed a few games, she should be given more playing time to see what she can achieve, just like Reese has accomplished in her basketball career. Currently, Reese holds the top spot in the women’s college basketball NIL ranking, with a remarkable valuation of $1.7 million. She has secured endorsements with major brands such as Sony, Bose, Amazon, Reebok, and many others. Meanwhile, Kiki Rice is also developing her NIL values during this time.