MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kiki Rice celebrated her 22nd birthday in style, as third-ranked UCLA stayed unbeaten in Big Ten play with a decisive victory at Minnesota.
The smooth-shooting senior guard was in the spotlight on Wednesday night, with a career high-tying 25 points, but that’s not the goal on this well-connected, fiercely determined and richly talented Bruins team.
With the Gophers and their nation-leading defense trying everything they could to limit star Lauren Betts around the basket, this was prime time for Rice to take over.
“She came here with a single focus, to help our team win at levels they’d never won before, but on top of that, what do you think WNBA teams are looking for? Winners,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “Ones that not only know how to bring the skill development and the skills to their particular teams, but who helps make the team winners, and I don’t think that can be stated strong enough. Does someone want to pick a stat line? Or do they want to pick a winner?”
The 5-foot-11 Rice, who added five assists, four rebounds and three steals while shooting 8 for 9 from the floor, 3 for 3 from 3-point range and 6 for 6 from the free-throw line against Minnesota, is a sure-bet first-round pick whenever the WNBA holds its next draft, with a new collective bargaining agreement needed first.
Betts could be the top pick. Gabriela Jaquez, Angela Dugalic and newcomers Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker are all WNBA prospects, too, and they’re all in their final year.
“This is just a special group, and I’m a really lucky coach to be able to be a part of their lives,” said Close, who’s in her 15th season with the Bruins after leading them to their first Final Four appearance last spring.
The players clearly feel that way, too.
“I just want this team to win, so whatever it takes I’m going to be able to do that,” Rice said.
Rice’s season-best performance was made possible by the Bruins following their game plan to put the Gophers post players in frequent ball-screen situations and her working hard to take advantage.
With Betts on the bench in early foul trouble in the second quarter in a six-point game, the Gophers — who entered the game allowing an average of just over 51 points per game — were putting on a clinic on a defensive possession until Rice found space in the corner for a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock and make it 25-16.
“They’re such a physical team, and that wears on you and all of a sudden you can’t get to a coverage as quickly because you got worn down. It’s every cut. It’s every screen. It’s every drive. It’s every rebound. It’s every post-up opportunity,” Minnesota coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “Kiki Rice made us pay.”
UCLA is the best-shooting team in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation, entering the night with a 50.8% percentage from the floor. The Bruins are also third in the country in assists.
The Gophers made the 6-foot-7 Betts work for everything she got, flexing their feisty defense and forcing the Bruins into 17 turnovers. But the AP preseason All-American senior stayed on the floor and didn’t lose her aggressiveness after picking up her third foul early in the third quarter, and UCLA’s lead stayed in double digits for the entire second half on the way to a 76-58 win.
“Playing with Lauren has been one of the best parts of being at UCLA,” Rice said of her teammate who transferred from Stanford three years ago. “Being able to play with a great big like her, not many people in college basketball get the opportunity to do that.”
Betts leaned over toward Rice after the compliment as they sat together at a podium following the game, flashing a smile of gratitude.
“If they’re going to send two or three people at me, it just creates such good opportunities for the guards,” Betts said. “They all can handle themselves really well, and we have such amazing shooters so it makes my job pretty easy.”
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