Photo credit: Lucas Peltier
Kiki Rice fought through injury and adversity throughout her first WNBA season. She kept gaining steam anyway and is now being rewarded.
Rice was named to the WNBA’s All-Rookie team on Wednesday.
“We are incredibly proud of Kiki and everything she accomplished in her first WNBA season,” said Toronto Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a statement released by the team.
“When we selected Kiki as the first draft pick in franchise history, we believed she had the talent, poise and work ethic to become an important part of what we are building in Toronto. She continued to grow throughout the season, responded to every challenge and showed us the impact she can have on both ends of the floor. This recognition is so well deserved, and we believe it is only the beginning for her.”
The 22-year-old was drafted sixth overall by the Tempo and averaged 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists over 28 games. Rice and WNBA Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles were the only players with 11-plus-game streaks of double-digit scoring.
Miles was also included on the All-Rookie team, of course. Azzi Fudd (Dallas Wings), Flau’Jae Johnson (Seattle Storm), Sydney Taylor (Chicago Sky), and Pauline Astier (New York Liberty), rounded out the group. Rice and Astier tied for fifth in voting, so six players were named.
Rice ranked fourth among rookies in scoring and shot 47.2% from the field, 35.1% from 3-point range and 86.9% from the free-throw line.
Rice sustained a sprained ankle on June 3 against the New York Liberty and missed nearly two months, returning on July 28. The 16-game layoff was the longest in-season injury absence of Rice’s career. But she maintained a positive mindset despite the unfortunate circumstances.
“I think just kind of finding ways to still learn, to still help the team, and to still better myself individually while dealing with the fact of not being able to be out there and do what I love,” Rice said before her return against the Minnesota Lynx. “So definitely difficult, but just grateful to be back in a position where I can play.”
A former NCAA national champion with the UCLA Bruins, Rice improved continually throughout the season. Her resiliency and decision-making on drives noticeably progressed. She closed the season by scoring double digits in 12 of the Tempo’s final 13 games, averaging 16.5 points and 4.7 assists over that stretch.
It was capped by a career-high 28-point performance against the Connecticut Sun in the Tempo’s season finale on September 24. She also committed zero turnovers, becoming one of only nine rookies in WNBA history to score at least 28 points without a turnover, per Tempo PR.