Thunder’s Cason Wallace drops ‘unbelievable’ Kiki Rice take at 2026 WNBA Draft

Kiki Rice was selected sixth overall by the expansion franchise Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA draft, becoming the first draft pick in team history. Rice was among multiple UCLA Bruins stars selected in the first round of the draft, including the likes of Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez.

Regardless, she also enjoyed the support of her long-term boyfriend and Oklahoma City Thunder star Cason Wallace at the event, which was held at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City. As Rice was photographed by reporters, the Thunder star was asked what it meant for him to be supporting his partner at the draft, per a post on X by WNBA.

Cason Wallace is front and center supporting Kiki Rice on her special night

Orange Carpet presented @Coach #WNBADraft presented by State Street Investment Management SPY pic.twitter.com/bytBmR3yu2

— WNBA (@WNBA) April 13, 2026

“It’s great, just seeing her have her moment, it’s unbelievable,” he said, beaming.

Rice enters the league following a championship-winning senior season at UCLA, where she averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals across 38 games while shooting 49% from the field, 38.5% from three, and 90.2% from the free-throw line. She ranked eighth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5) and earned multiple accolades, including All-American honors, Big Ten All-Defense, and conference tournament MVP.

Rice was also a semifinalist for both the Naismith Trophy as the national player of the year and the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation’s best point guard. The Tempo are understood to have held pre-draft interviews with Rice, and were impressed particularly by her maturity.

“Really excited to get out there, get to work, get to meet everyone on the team. There’s some great people, really experienced people, in the organization,” she said after being picked, per The Globe and Mail.

Rice joins a backcourt group that already includes established veterans such as Marina Mabrey, Julie Allemand and Brittney Sykes. Regardless, she will undoubtedly be delighted with Wallace’s continued support. 

The two went public with their relationship back in 2025, and are understood to have first met each other at a Junior NBA program when Rice was still in eighth grade.

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