UCLA Women's Basketball: Star Bruin Kiki Rice Officially Partners With Beats By Dre
UCLA Bruins women's basketball star guard Kiki Rice just announced a new partnership with Beats By Dre via her official Twitter/X account:
"To be No. 1, you've got to be super," Rice declares in a snazzy voiceover, paired with an over-the-shoulder handheld shot of her walking through a dimly-lit court.
As a song kicks in, Rice (wearing her Beats By Dre ear-covering headphones, of course) kicks into "Super Mode" (per some later superimposed titles), scrimmaging around the hoop with some nice lay-ins. Some stray illustrated lightning bolts animate her charge.
"That's what I've got in store," she concludes (still via voiceover), turning to us.
It's an exciting moment for UCLA women's hoops, as Beats By Dre is a major fashion staple for athletes, and a huge cultural touchstone.
Rice, a 5'11" sophomore, is one of the leaders for a stellar 2023-24 squad (currently 9-0) that has emerged as one of the best in the nation (UCLA is ranked second in the country in the latest Associated Press poll), thanks in part to continuity and internal growth.
Through nine contests, the 2023 All-Pac-12 Tourney Teamer is averaging 13.3 points on a hyper-efficient .557/.409/.920 slash line (so, yes, she's officially on 50/40/90 shooting watch for the year), 6.9 assists and 6.1 rebounds a night.
Last year, with a core of then-freshmen Rice, Angela Dugalic, Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez, plus seniors Charisma Osborne and Camryn Brown, Cori Close's club reached the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. This season, with all those players back (Osborne and Brown are now using their bonus fifth years of college eligibility), everyone looks a step better.
Another big element responsible for UCLA's rise was the arrival of ex-Stanford transfer center Lauren Betts, a 6'7" sophomore who has reclaimed her deserved place as one of the best frontcourt prospects in the college game.
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