Betts, Rice Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Honors as UCLA Ranked Convention No. 1

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Seniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice have been unanimously chosen to the 2025-26 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team, the convention introduced Thursday. Both Bruins additionally made the all-conference preseason staff as voted on by members of the media.

The Bruins, after ending 2024-25 with simply three losses in 37 video games performed, have been ranked first within the coaches and media preseason convention polls.

 

Betts, coming off a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year marketing campaign within the convention, has additionally been chosen because the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year by Big Ten forward of her senior yr. In 2024-25, she grew to become the primary Bruin with 600+ factors, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season.  The heart additionally set a brand new single-season blocks document together with her 100 rejections this yr and captured the UCLA single-game blocks document with 9 towards No. 25 Baylor on the Coretta Scott King Classic. The staff’s main scorer (20.2 PPG) had a career-high 33 factors at No. 8 Maryland in late January, one among 4 video games through which she scored 30+ factors.

 

Betts is the one unanimous choice throughout each coaches and media groups; Rice joins Betts as the one extra Big Ten student-athlete to obtain a unanimous choice to both staff.

 

Rice completed her junior marketing campaign as UCLA’s second main scorer with 12.8 factors per sport, and he or she displayed improved effectivity in her scoring; Rice shot career-bests from the ground (.485 FG%) and from lengthy vary (.365 3FG%). The Bruin level guard was each the staff and convention chief in assists (170); Rice surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season in 2024-25.

 

See the complete 2025-26 Big Ten ladies’s basketball preseason honors under.

 

2025-26 Coaches Big Ten Preseason Rankings

1. UCLA

2. Maryland

3. Michigan

4. USC

5. Ohio State

 

2025-26 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Hannah Stuelke, Sr., F, Iowa

Yarden Garzon, Sr., G, Maryland

Kaylene Smikle, Sr., G, Maryland

Olivia Olson, So., G, Michigan

Syla Swords, So., G, Michigan

Grace VanSlooten, Sr., F, Michigan State

Jaloni Cambridge, So., G, Ohio State

LAUREN BETTS, SR., C, UCLA*

KIKI RICE, SR., G, UCLA*

Sayvia Sellers, Jr., G, Washington

 

2025-26 Coaches Preseason Player of the Year

LAUREN BETTS, SR., C, UCLA*

 

2025-26 Media Big Ten Preseason Rankings

1. UCLA

2. Maryland

3. USC

4. Michigan

5. Ohio State

 

2025-26 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Hannah Stuelke, Sr., F, Iowa

Yarden Garzon, Sr., G, Maryland

Kaylene Smikle, Sr., G, Maryland

Olivia Olson, So., G, Michigan

Syla Swords, So., G, Michigan

Grace VanSlooten, Sr., F, Michigan State

Jaloni Cambridge, So., G, Ohio State

LAUREN BETTS, SR., C, UCLA*

Kiki Rice, Sr., G, UCLA

Elle Ladine, Sr., G, Washington

 

2025-26 Media Preseason Player of the Year

Lauren Betts, Sr., C, UCLA

 

*Unanimous alternatives listed in ALL CAPS