The USC and UCLA women’s basketball teams will battle each other for the first time this season on February 13 at 7:00P.M. in the Galen Center. Since their victory over South Carolina in November, the Bruins have been the highest-ranking team in the nation.
UCLA women’s basketball is the last undefeated team in women’s and men’s college basketball.
The Women of Troy are seventh in the national ranking with three players averaging in the double figures.
A major key to the success of both teams are players with the nickname “Kiki.”
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UCLA junior guard Kira “Kiki” Rice is second on the team in scoring with 13.1 points per game. Her 56 percent shooting from the field makes her the most accurate shooter on the team.
“[Rice is] not a real boisterous leader and she leads by example,” said UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close. “She has found her best and most effective influence and impact.”
USC grad student forward Okikiola “Kiki” Iriafen is also the second leading scorer for her respective team. She contributes 17.7 points per game and shoots at 51 percent from the field.
While Rice had played for the Bruins her entire college career, Iriafen transferred to USC from Stanford last summer. With the Cardinal, Iriafen earned the Katrina McClain Award; the award is for the top Division I power forward in women’s college basketball.
“[Iriafen] is so fast, she does a great job of spacing the floor when there’s a crowd,” said Women of Troy basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “We know that if we get a one-on-one, she can score on anyone.”
In December, Rice scored a season-high of 21 points against Hawaii and reached a season-high of seven rebounds against Indiana. Iriafen scored a season-high of 30 points in November and secured 13 boards against Ole Miss.
Last season, Rice became the 10th Bruin in program history to secure a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against CSUN. In high school, Rice was 2022 Naismith High School Player of the Year and was co-MVP of the McDonalds All-American game.
Iriafen is a native of Los Angeles and an alum of Harvard-Westlake. There, she became the all time leading scorer and rebounder with 2,454 points and 1,655 boards. She was also named a McDonalds All-American and she was a Jordan Brand Classic All-American.
