Sue Bird Surprises Kiki Rice with Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year Award

Seattle Storm star Sue Bird has dished out plenty of assists during her storied WNBA career, and she added another Thursday when she surprised Kiki Rice with news of her Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year win.

Bird informed Rice of the news as the Sidwell Friends School star was presented with the trophy.

As a senior, Rice averaged 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game. She also shot 51.8 percent from the floor.

The 5'11" guard was instrumental in Sidwell Friends running the table (28-0) en route winning championships for the District of Columbia State Athletic Association and Independent School League.

Sidwell Friends ranks No. 1 nationally at both ESPN and Just Women's Sports.

Rice has also represented the United States at the junior level. She helped Team USA win the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

Winning the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year puts her in exalted company. Lisa Leslie, Katie Smith, Nikki Teasley, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike and Breanna Stewart are among the notable winners in past years.

The honorees have combined to collect 15 WNBA titles and nine MVPs in the W.

Before she gets there, Rice will look to collect as many accolades as she can at the college level. She committed to UCLA in November.

Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, the Bruins were overshadowed by their local rivals as Linda Sharp turned USC into a powerhouse. The dynamic has shifted, however, especially since Nikki Fargas' arrival at UCLA in 2008. Fargas laid the foundation upon which Cori Close has added, with the Bruins reaching the Elite Eight in 2018.

UCLA missed the NCAA tournament this year, though, following a 14-13 regular season.

In addition to Rice, Close is adding Gabriela Jaquez, Londynn Jones and Christeen Iwuala for next year. All four are among the top 50 players in HoopGurlz's 2022 rankings. Big things are on the horizon for the Bruins.