Photo by: Caren Nicdao
Kiki Rice Named Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List
October 27, 2025 | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior Kiki Rice has been selected to the 20-person watch list for the 2025-26 Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation's best collegiate point guard.
Rice, the 5-foot-11 point guard from Bethesda, Md., heads into her fourth season with the Bruins. UCLA's second leading scorer in 2024-25 with 12.8 points per game, she shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). Rice was the team and conference leader in assists (170) and surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season. She was named First Team All-Big Ten, and UCLA Women's Basketball's Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree. Also tabbed as All-America Honorable Mention honors (Associated Press and WBCA), Rice was a finalist for the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award. She was named the NCAA Women's Basketball Elite 90 Award winner and a Arthur Ashe Jr. Award Sports Scholar.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just 5. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy, Lieberman, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winners of the 2026 Cousy and Lieberman Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022-24), Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021 and '25), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04), and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).
For more information on the 2026 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #CousyAward, and #LiebermanAward on X and Instagram.
2025-26 Nancy Lieberman Award Candidates
Rachael Rose – Clemson
Taina Mair – Duke
Janelle Brown – Fairfield
Jada Williams – Iowa State
S'Mya Nichols – Kansas
Tonie Morgan – Kentucky
MiLaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Zoe Brooks – NC State
Britt Prince – Nebraska
Reniya Kelly – North Carolina
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Aaliyah Chavez – Oklahoma
Raven Johnson – South Carolina
Olivia Miles – TCU
Talaysia Cooper – Tennessee
Rori Harmon – Texas
Ny'Ceara Pryor – Texas A&M
Kiki Rice – UCLA
Kymora Johnson – Virginia
Jordan Harrison – West Virginia
Rice, the 5-foot-11 point guard from Bethesda, Md., heads into her fourth season with the Bruins. UCLA's second leading scorer in 2024-25 with 12.8 points per game, she shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). Rice was the team and conference leader in assists (170) and surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season. She was named First Team All-Big Ten, and UCLA Women's Basketball's Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree. Also tabbed as All-America Honorable Mention honors (Associated Press and WBCA), Rice was a finalist for the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award. She was named the NCAA Women's Basketball Elite 90 Award winner and a Arthur Ashe Jr. Award Sports Scholar.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in each of the three rounds starting on Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just 5. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy, Lieberman, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winners of the 2026 Cousy and Lieberman Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Nancy Lieberman Award include Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2022-24), Paige Bueckers, UConn (2021 and '25), Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (2018-20), Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame (2012-13), Diana Taurasi, Connecticut (2003-04), and Sue Bird, Connecticut (2000-02).
For more information on the 2026 Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #CousyAward, and #LiebermanAward on X and Instagram.
2025-26 Nancy Lieberman Award Candidates
Rachael Rose – Clemson
Taina Mair – Duke
Janelle Brown – Fairfield
Jada Williams – Iowa State
S'Mya Nichols – Kansas
Tonie Morgan – Kentucky
MiLaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Zoe Brooks – NC State
Britt Prince – Nebraska
Reniya Kelly – North Carolina
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Aaliyah Chavez – Oklahoma
Raven Johnson – South Carolina
Olivia Miles – TCU
Talaysia Cooper – Tennessee
Rori Harmon – Texas
Ny'Ceara Pryor – Texas A&M
Kiki Rice – UCLA
Kymora Johnson – Virginia
Jordan Harrison – West Virginia
UCLA W. Basketball Media Availability - Players (Oct. 1, 2025)
Wednesday, October 01
UCLA W. Basketball Media Availability - Coach Cori Close (Oct. 1, 2025)
Wednesday, October 01
UCLA W. Basketball - Behind the Scenes of the 2025 Photoshoot
Saturday, September 27
Bruins Beyond Basketball: Charlisse Leger-Walker x Angela Dugalić
Tuesday, June 24