UCLA star Kiki Rice shares major reason behind choosing Bruins ahead of Final Four matchup vs UConn

Point guard Kiki Rice, who has been at UCLA since 2022, discussed the reason behind choosing the Bruins ahead of programs such as UConn.

The San Francisco native was considered the second-best player and a five-star recruit in the 2022 class. Rated as the top point guard by ESPN, she had a lot of offers, including from UConn, Stanford, Arizona and Duke.

On the "Night Show," which was posted on social media on Tuesday, Rice talked about her decision with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson.

“I didn't want to go to a program that had a bunch of national championships and been to the Final Four a bunch of times,” Rice said. “I felt like it makes it even more special to go to a place and help it become that level of that level of program.”

Rice talked about the fulfillment she has gotten from making the dream a reality.

“I think having that all come into reality now just makes it even more special,” she said.

Rice became the highest-ranked recruit in the program’s history in 2022.

It has proven to be a good choice, as the point guard has helped UCLA reach the Final Four for the first time in the program's history. Before this season, the best run the Bruins had was in 1999 and 2018, when they reached the Elite Eight.

The team beat LSU 72–65 on Sunday afternoon.

To win its first NCAA title, UCLA (34-2) must first navigate a Final Four matchup against UConn (35-3), one of the programs Rice rejected in 2022.

Kiki Rice names athletes who inspired her to play basketball

NCAA Tournament, Spokane regional: UCLA Bruins vs. LSU Tigers - Source: Imagn

When asked which female athletes she watched as a kid on the "Nightcap," Kiki Rice named WNBA legends such as Skylar Diggins, Arike Ogunbowale, and Diana Taurasi. However, she also mentioned athletes outside basketball.

“I loved watching Serena Williams and Alex Morgan, like, other, you know, really fantastic women in other sports to kinda see them be great at their craft, and that really inspired me, for sure,” she said.

Rice is having a solid season, averaging 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. She will hope to inspire her team once again when they face No. 1 Seed UConn by 9:30 p.m. ET in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.