Kiki Rice’s UCLA Bruins have secured a spot in the national championship game after beating the Texas Longhorns 51-44 in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Rice scored 11 points on 2-5 shooting, including 1-2 from the 3-point line. The guard also recorded five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.
After Rice’s team advanced to the national championship game, Rice’s boyfriend and Oklahoma City Thunder player Cason Wallace issued his strong support. Wallace posted a selfie on his Instagram story wearing a Bruins jersey. He dropped the following emojis as well:
“😤😤😤😤😤 😈😈😈😈”
Friday’s win sent UCLA to its first-ever NCAA women’s championship game. Rice essentially closed the game with her clutch free throws. Lauren Betts was the leading scorer for UCLA with 16 points on 7-10 shooting and she also made the game-winning block against Texas’ Madison Booker in the final minute of the game.
Next up, UCLA will face the South Carolina Gamecocks in the championship game.
Everything to Know About Kiki Rice’s Relationship with Thunder Star
Several outlets reported the relationship between Kiki Rice and Cason Wallace, who was drafted by the Thunder in 2023 and is averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the ongoing NBA season.
Rice and Wallace met as middle-schoolers in the inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship in Orlando. The tournament featured the best from the world in the category of 13 and 14-year-olds in both men’s and women’s basketball.
After Wallace won the NBA championship with the Thunder, their relationship started attracting headlines. They arrived at the ESPYs together in July and also watched a WNBA game between the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics last year.
Wallace even said he enjoys watching Rice and her UCLA teammates play and win.
“I’ve been around a lot of them because we’re all the same age,” Wallace told The Oklahoman. “It’s fun seeing them do their thing, win and have fun out there on the court.”
Rice is currently in her final year of college basketball with UCLA before she also turns professional like her boyfriend. Notably, she is the first-ever Jordan Brand NIL athlete.
It remains to be seen if Rice & Co. can take down Dawn Staley’s South Carolina in the national championship game.
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