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UCLA Basketball Star Featured in New Jordan Brand Campaign

NIL trailblazer Kiki Rice highlighted in Generation Heir alongside WNBA stars

Michael Ehrlich

Dec 20, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against the Creighton Bluejays during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Dec 20, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against the Creighton Bluejays during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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The 16-0 and No. 1-ranked UCLA women's basketball team is off to one of their best starts in program history, and junior guard Kiki Rice has been a catalyst for the Bruins' success both on and off the floor.

The reigning All-Pac-12 player has seamlessly transitioned to Big Ten conference play this season, bringing a diverse skillset of scoring, rebounding and playmaking to a stacked UCLA roster.

Even before arriving in Westwood, Rice has been a NIL trailblazer by making history in the sneaker industry as a high schooler.

In 2022, Rice became the first NIL signee for the Nike's Jordan Brand, and as a UCLA sophomore last year, she debuted her own "Cherry Blossom" colorway of the Air Jordan 38, inspired by her Washington, DC roots.

Now, with National Championship aspirations for the Bruins, Rice's collaboration with Jordan has soared to a new level.

The guard is a member of the brand's Generation Heir roster, a collection of star hoopers who contributed insights in designing Jordan's first women's basketball shoe.

From Rice to Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada of the Atlanta Dream to Kia Nurse of the Los Angeles Sparks, Generation Heir is well represented. To tip off the new year, Jordan Brand launched a new campaign featuring the basketball stars highlighting their impact on and off the court as inspirations for the new generation of women's hoopers.

“Understanding that the Heir Series is specifically designed from my insights as well as other women athletes on the roster is really representative of the change that’s going on right now in women’s basketball,” Rice said when the new sneaker was revealed in October. “Being able to contribute to the design and feel of this shoe is something I don’t take for granted. I love the aesthetic and think the color blocking lends itself to be a great vehicle for storytelling and advancing the women’s game and basketball overall.”

Represented by Wasserman, Rice is one of the most prolific NIL athletes today.

Her diverse roster of brand partners include the likes of Beats by Dre, Buick, Invisalign, StarKist and Neutrogena, among others.

Jordan Brand's Heir Series basketball sneaker for women is now available globally at www.jordan.com and select retail locations.

After a long weekend in Indiana - with wins against the Hoosiers and Purdue - Rice and the still-undefeated Bruins next host Northwestern on Jan. 12.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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