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Betts and Rice Named Preseason All-Big Ten, Bruins Land No. 2 in Conference Rankings
September 26, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Rosemont, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has released its preseason All-Big Ten teams and rankings, as voted on by conference head coaches and members of the media.
Juniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice have been named to both the 2024-25 Coaches and Media Preseason All-Big Ten Teams. Betts was one of two players in the conference to receive a unanimous All-Big Ten preseason selection by coaches in the conference. The complete lists of preseason All-Big Ten team selections are below.
Betts is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which she ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.667 FG%) during the regular season; she scored a team-high 14.9 points per game and lead the Bruins on the boards, snatching 9.3 rebounds per contest. The center has proven to be a defensive anchor both in the stat sheet and on the floor; Betts swatted 2.0 shots per game while also providing perimeter defense with her lateral quickness and length. The Centennial, Colo., native recorded 13 double-doubles in 29 appearances last season; she nearly doubled her output in every statistical category from her freshman to sophomore year. Betts set new single-game highs in points (24), rebounds (18), assists (4), blocks (6) and field-goals made (11) during the 2023-24 season.
Rice totaled 13.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during her second campaign with UCLA. She led the Bruins in defensive rebounding, with 172 defensive boards (5.1 DREB/G) to her name last season. Her 24-point, 11-rebound double-double helped propel UCLA past then-No. 6 UConn early in the year, marking UCLA's first of its NCAA-leading seven wins over Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball teams before postseason begins. The point guard also recorded the 10th triple-double in UCLA program history (14 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST) against CSUN on Dec. 7, flirting with a quadruple double (7 STL) in the effort. Rice started all 34 appearances as a sophomore, averaging 31.2 minutes per contest. The Bethesda, Md., native has improved all her shooting splits (.449/.312/.876) since her freshman campaign, adding a long-range threat to her game as a sophomore.
The Bruins also rank second in the conference, according to both coaches and media polls. The University of Southern California, Ohio State University, the University of Maryland and Indiana University round out the top-five preseason rankings in both polls.
2024-25 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team*
Makira Cook, 5th-Yr., G, Illinois
Hannah Stuelke, Jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, Gr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, Sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, Sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, Jr., F, Ohio State
LAUREN BETTS, Jr., C, UCLA
Kiki Rice, Jr., G, UCLA
JUJU WATKINS, SO., G, USC
Kiki Iriafen, Gr., F, USC
Serah Williams, Jr., F, Wisconsin
*Additional player due to tie in voting
2024-25 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Hannah Stuelke, Jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, Gr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, Sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, Sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, Jr., F, Ohio State
Lauren Betts, Jr., C, UCLA
Kiki Rice, Jr., G, UCLA
JUJU WATKINS, SO., G, USC
Kiki Iriafen, Gr., F, USC
Serah Williams, Jr., F, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in all caps.
2024-25 Coaches Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
2024-25 Media Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
Juniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice have been named to both the 2024-25 Coaches and Media Preseason All-Big Ten Teams. Betts was one of two players in the conference to receive a unanimous All-Big Ten preseason selection by coaches in the conference. The complete lists of preseason All-Big Ten team selections are below.
Betts is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which she ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.667 FG%) during the regular season; she scored a team-high 14.9 points per game and lead the Bruins on the boards, snatching 9.3 rebounds per contest. The center has proven to be a defensive anchor both in the stat sheet and on the floor; Betts swatted 2.0 shots per game while also providing perimeter defense with her lateral quickness and length. The Centennial, Colo., native recorded 13 double-doubles in 29 appearances last season; she nearly doubled her output in every statistical category from her freshman to sophomore year. Betts set new single-game highs in points (24), rebounds (18), assists (4), blocks (6) and field-goals made (11) during the 2023-24 season.
Rice totaled 13.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during her second campaign with UCLA. She led the Bruins in defensive rebounding, with 172 defensive boards (5.1 DREB/G) to her name last season. Her 24-point, 11-rebound double-double helped propel UCLA past then-No. 6 UConn early in the year, marking UCLA's first of its NCAA-leading seven wins over Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball teams before postseason begins. The point guard also recorded the 10th triple-double in UCLA program history (14 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST) against CSUN on Dec. 7, flirting with a quadruple double (7 STL) in the effort. Rice started all 34 appearances as a sophomore, averaging 31.2 minutes per contest. The Bethesda, Md., native has improved all her shooting splits (.449/.312/.876) since her freshman campaign, adding a long-range threat to her game as a sophomore.
The Bruins also rank second in the conference, according to both coaches and media polls. The University of Southern California, Ohio State University, the University of Maryland and Indiana University round out the top-five preseason rankings in both polls.
2024-25 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team*
Makira Cook, 5th-Yr., G, Illinois
Hannah Stuelke, Jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, Gr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, Sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, Sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, Jr., F, Ohio State
LAUREN BETTS, Jr., C, UCLA
Kiki Rice, Jr., G, UCLA
JUJU WATKINS, SO., G, USC
Kiki Iriafen, Gr., F, USC
Serah Williams, Jr., F, Wisconsin
*Additional player due to tie in voting
2024-25 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Hannah Stuelke, Jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, Gr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, Sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, Sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, Jr., F, Ohio State
Lauren Betts, Jr., C, UCLA
Kiki Rice, Jr., G, UCLA
JUJU WATKINS, SO., G, USC
Kiki Iriafen, Gr., F, USC
Serah Williams, Jr., F, Wisconsin
Unanimous selections in all caps.
2024-25 Coaches Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
2024-25 Media Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
Players Mentioned
C
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