Less than two weeks after the final game of the season, UCLA Bruins star Kiki Rice underwent surgery to repair an injury to her right shoulder. The 21-year-old guard had been playing with soreness all season, something she hopes to eradicate for her final year of collegiate basketball.
Kiki Rice: From the Season Ending to the OR
Rice was one of the leaders of the Bruins on their way to the first NCAA Final Four in their history, averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game (per ESPN). However, she spent much less time on the court (28.5 minutes per game) than the previous season (31.1), another indication of how compromised her shoulder was.
Kiki Rice was playing all season with an injured shoulder. She just had a procedure (via her IG). pic.twitter.com/t6AX0CyvEb
— The Mighty Bruins (@themightybruins) April 16, 2025
The player herself posted about her surgery on her Instagram Stories:
In the game against the UConn Huskies, which was UCLA’s season finale, Rice had eight points, three rebounds, and three assists. She set a remarkable example of sacrifice for her teammates and fans by playing 37 minutes despite her injury.
The nature of Rice’s injury and the details of her surgery have not been publicly disclosed. Neither has the expected time frame for her recovery.
Kiki Rice has been one of the stars of the team since arriving at UCL. In her three seasons with the Bruins, she has averaged 12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 105 games.
Her best season so far was the 2023-2024 season when she scored 449 points, 195 rebounds, and 152 assists in 34 games. She also posted her best field goal percentage (44.9%) and free throw percentage (87.6%).
Despite playing nearly the entire 2024-2025 season with a nagging injury, Rice set career highs in total assists (170) and 3-point shooting percentage (36.5%).
Rice has been in the spotlight since early in her career, having been called up to the national team since she was a child. She has won four gold medals with Team USA: the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship, the 2021 FIBA 3×3 Under-18 World Cup, the 2022 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship and the 2023 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
Equally or more important than her success on the court is her success in the classroom. As reported by Sports Illustrated, Rice was recently named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America Division I Women’s Basketball First Team, an honor shared by only five other Division I players in the NCAA.
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Rice is majoring in communication studies with a minor in education and has a 3.85 GPA.
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