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Kiki Rice Endorses Paige Bueckers as Rookie of the Year Frontrunner

A public nod from former college rival Kiki Rice reinforces the consensus that Bueckers leads this rookie class.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins drives to the basket against Paige Bueckers #5 of the UConn Huskies in the second quarter in the Final Four game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

Overview

  • Kiki Rice told Sports Illustrated she believes Paige Bueckers will win Rookie of the Year and said the Dallas guard already looks like a veteran.
  • Through 32 games, Bueckers is averaging 18.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, including a recent 16-point, 10-assist outing with a short-handed Wings roster.
  • Bueckers has 606 points this season, leaving her 25 shy of Arike Ogunbowale’s Dallas rookie scoring record of 630 set in 2019.
  • Washington’s Sonia Citron remains a leading contender with 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 40 games.
  • Wings coach Chris Koclanes praised Bueckers’ impact against heavy defensive attention, as voters weigh her production alongside Dallas’s poor record.