Photo by: Jan Kim Lim
Betts, Rice Headline Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Midseason Team
February 12, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ Juniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice have been named to the 2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Midseason Team, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
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The Bruin center is averaging a team-leading 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game on the No. 1-ranked UCLA squad. Betts is shooting 63.1 percent from the field, which ranks third in the Big Ten Conference and ninth nationally. She's set single-game career highs in points (33 at No. 8 Maryland), assists (11 vs. Minnesota) and blocks (nine vs. No. 25 Baylor) during her junior campaign. Her nine blocks against the Bears set a new single-game program record for rejections; the 11 assists also mark the most helpers by a student-athlete 6-foot-7 or taller since women's college basketball game logs began in 2002-03 (previous high: 9 โ Brittney Griner vs. Kansas State โ March 9, 2013).
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Rice is UCLA's second-leading scorer with her 12.7 points per game; the point guard is shooting 55.3 percent from the field, which is nearly 11 percentage points higher than her final shooting split from the Bruin's sophomore campaign. Rice is also shooting 37.8 percent to lead UCLA from three-point land. She averages 4.4 assists per game and a Big Ten Conference-leading 2.4 assist/turnover ratio in her 20 appearances on the season. Rice has collected two double-doubles during her junior campaign; the point guard put up 16 points and 10 rebounds against No. 25 Michigan on New Year's Day, then had another 10-point, 10-rebound outing against Rutgers on Jan. 23.
Both were included in the top 30 midseason team, see the full list below.
2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year Midseason Team
Georgia Amoore | Kentucky
Sarah Ashlee Barker | Alabama
Raegan Beers | Oklahoma
Lauren Betts | UCLA
Mikayla Blakes | Vanderbilt
Madison Booker | Texas
Paige Bueckers | UConn
Talaysia Cooper | Tennessee
Audi Crooks | Iowa State
Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga
Rori Harmon | Texas
Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen | USC
Aziaha James | NC State
Flau'jae Johnson | LSU
Gianna Kneepkens | Utah
Ta'Niya Latson | Florida State
Ayoka Lee | Kansas State
Cotie McMahon | Ohio State
Olivia Miles | Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow | LSU
Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina
Khamil Pierre | Vanderbilt
Sedona Prince | TCU
JJ Quinerly | West Virginia
Kiki Rice | UCLA
Sarah Strong | UConn
Harmoni Turner | Harvard
Hailey Van Lith | TCU
JuJu Watkins | USC
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The Bruin center is averaging a team-leading 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game on the No. 1-ranked UCLA squad. Betts is shooting 63.1 percent from the field, which ranks third in the Big Ten Conference and ninth nationally. She's set single-game career highs in points (33 at No. 8 Maryland), assists (11 vs. Minnesota) and blocks (nine vs. No. 25 Baylor) during her junior campaign. Her nine blocks against the Bears set a new single-game program record for rejections; the 11 assists also mark the most helpers by a student-athlete 6-foot-7 or taller since women's college basketball game logs began in 2002-03 (previous high: 9 โ Brittney Griner vs. Kansas State โ March 9, 2013).
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Rice is UCLA's second-leading scorer with her 12.7 points per game; the point guard is shooting 55.3 percent from the field, which is nearly 11 percentage points higher than her final shooting split from the Bruin's sophomore campaign. Rice is also shooting 37.8 percent to lead UCLA from three-point land. She averages 4.4 assists per game and a Big Ten Conference-leading 2.4 assist/turnover ratio in her 20 appearances on the season. Rice has collected two double-doubles during her junior campaign; the point guard put up 16 points and 10 rebounds against No. 25 Michigan on New Year's Day, then had another 10-point, 10-rebound outing against Rutgers on Jan. 23.
Both were included in the top 30 midseason team, see the full list below.
2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year Midseason Team
Georgia Amoore | Kentucky
Sarah Ashlee Barker | Alabama
Raegan Beers | Oklahoma
Lauren Betts | UCLA
Mikayla Blakes | Vanderbilt
Madison Booker | Texas
Paige Bueckers | UConn
Talaysia Cooper | Tennessee
Audi Crooks | Iowa State
Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga
Rori Harmon | Texas
Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen | USC
Aziaha James | NC State
Flau'jae Johnson | LSU
Gianna Kneepkens | Utah
Ta'Niya Latson | Florida State
Ayoka Lee | Kansas State
Cotie McMahon | Ohio State
Olivia Miles | Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow | LSU
Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina
Khamil Pierre | Vanderbilt
Sedona Prince | TCU
JJ Quinerly | West Virginia
Kiki Rice | UCLA
Sarah Strong | UConn
Harmoni Turner | Harvard
Hailey Van Lith | TCU
JuJu Watkins | USC
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Players Mentioned
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