Tempo Draft Kiki Rice with Historic 6th Pick!

Tempo Draft Kiki Rice with Historic 6th Pick!

The Toronto Tempo made history tonight, selecting UCLA star Kiki Rice with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. This marks the franchise’s first-ever draft selection, and it comes on a night already filled with historic moments for Rice and her UCLA teammates.

UCLA Dominates Early Draft Night

Rice’s selection continues an incredible run for UCLA players in the first round. She is the third straight Bruin to be drafted, a feat only matched once before in WNBA history, when UConn had three consecutive picks in 2016. This remarkable showing highlights the strength of the UCLA program under coach Corey Close.

Kiki Rice: A Culture Setter

Analysts praised Rice, a 5’11” guard, for her composed, poised, and effective play. She guided UCLA to a national championship this past season, showcasing a well-rounded game. Rice can guard opposing players effectively, even switching onto bigger forwards when needed. She’s known for finishing strong at the rim and drawing fouls, getting to the free-throw line often.

Her offensive game is solid, shooting 39% from three-point range last season and excelling with her pull-up jumper. But beyond the stats, Rice brings a winning mentality that impressed draft experts. She achieved career highs in points, rebounds, and shooting percentages during her standout season.

“Kiki Rice is really the culture setter,” one analyst noted. “She’s someone that players wanted to transfer to UCLA to play with.”

Building Blocks for Toronto

For an expansion team like the Toronto Tempo, securing a player like Kiki Rice is a significant advantage. Her ability to attract other players and set a positive tone makes her an ideal foundational piece. “When you talk about an expansion team and a team that is building, Kiki Rice is certainly a great piece because she’s someone people want to play with,” an announcer stated.

Rice Ready for New Challenge

During an on-court interview, Rice expressed her excitement and pride in her accomplishment and that of her teammates. “This is so special. I mean, every one of us here deserves this so much and I’m just so proud of this group cuz we put in so much work over the course of these past few years and this is such a special moment,” she said.

Rice acknowledged the pressure of being a foundational player for a new franchise but sees it as an exciting opportunity. “It’s a lot of pressure, but very exciting,” Rice stated. “I’m just really excited to get out there, get to work, get to meet everyone on the team.”

She also touched upon her ability to elevate her teammates’ play. “I take a ton of pride in just being the best teammate and figuring out how can I make everyone else better around me, how can I elevate the play of our team,” Rice explained. “I think this year we just have we had such a selfless group and we did that at a really high level all around and it was just fantastic to play on that team because we were all so selfless.”

Canadian Connections

Rice revealed she has family ties to Canada, with her uncle being Canadian and family living in Toronto. While she’s never visited the city, she’s eager to experience it. “Never been to Toronto, but really excited to get there. My uncle’s Canadian, have some family living there and I know it’s going to be a great time,” she shared.

Looking Ahead

Kiki Rice’s arrival in Toronto is a major step for the Tempo as they begin to build their roster. Her leadership, winning experience, and ability to make those around her better should help the new franchise establish a strong identity. She looks forward to learning from veteran players within the organization. The Tempo are building for the future, and Kiki Rice is poised to be a cornerstone of that vision.

Source: Toronto Tempo select Kiki Rice with their first-ever draft pick | 2026 WNBA Draft (YouTube)