It was an unfortunate ending to Wednesday’s WNBA game between the Toronto Tempo and the New York Liberty. In the closing moments of the Liberty’s 97-82 win, former UCLA Bruin and current Tempo rookie Kiki Rice went down with a scary looking ankle injury, which turned out to be a Grade 2 ankle sprain.
The injury came with just under two minutes to play in an 18-point ballgame but when Rice attacked the rim, a New York defender blocked her shot, but in doing so, knocked Rice off-balance leading to an awkward landing.
Rice immediately left the floor with a noticeable limp. Toronto has yet to announce an official timeline for Rice’s injury but the injury will only hurt Rice’s chances at bringing home the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award.
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BetMGM has Rice as tied for the third-best odds at the award alongside Flau’Jae Johnson of the Seattle Storm at +1000. Currently Olivia Miles of the Minnesota Lynx has the best odds at -250 with first overall pick Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Wings at +325.
Rice has made an immediate impact for the expansion Tempo, with the guard averaging 12.7 points per game, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the 5-5 Toronto team. Rice’s shooting has stayed strong in her rookie season after a deep college run earlier this year, Rice is shooting 53% from the field and 39% from three.
UCLA relied heavily on Rice in her Bruin career, as she spent all four of her collegiate seasons in Westwood, which culminated with the program’s first-ever NCAA title this season. The Tempo have announced that Rice will be re-evaluated in the coming days, which will provide a clearer picture on when she might be able to return for the Tempo.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA’s Kiki Rice injured her ankle in garbage time of WNBA game
