Photo by: Caren Nicdao
Betts, Rice Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Honors as UCLA Ranked Conference No. 1
October 02, 2025 | Women's Basketball
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Seniors Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice have been unanimously selected to the 2025-26 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team, the conference announced Thursday. Both Bruins also made the all-conference preseason team as voted on by members of the media.
The Bruins, after finishing 2024-25 with just three losses in 37 games played, have been ranked first in the coaches and media preseason conference polls.
Betts, coming off a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year campaign in the conference, has also been selected as the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year by Big Ten ahead of her senior year. In 2024-25, she became the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season. The center also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections this year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) had a career-high 33 points at No. 8 Maryland in late January, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points.
Betts is the only unanimous selection across both coaches and media teams; Rice joins Betts as the only additional Big Ten student-athlete to receive a unanimous selection to either team.
Rice finished her junior campaign as UCLA's second leading scorer with 12.8 points per game, and she displayed improved efficiency in her scoring; Rice shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). The Bruin point guard was both the team and conference leader in assists (170); Rice surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season in 2024-25.
See the full 2025-26 Big Ten women's basketball preseason honors below.
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 selections listed in ALL CAPS
The Bruins, after finishing 2024-25 with just three losses in 37 games played, have been ranked first in the coaches and media preseason conference polls.
Betts, coming off a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year campaign in the conference, has also been selected as the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year by Big Ten ahead of her senior year. In 2024-25, she became the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season. The center also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections this year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) had a career-high 33 points at No. 8 Maryland in late January, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points.
Betts is the only unanimous selection across both coaches and media teams; Rice joins Betts as the only additional Big Ten student-athlete to receive a unanimous selection to either team.
Rice finished her junior campaign as UCLA's second leading scorer with 12.8 points per game, and she displayed improved efficiency in her scoring; Rice shot career-bests from the floor (.485 FG%) and from long range (.365 3FG%). The Bruin point guard was both the team and conference leader in assists (170); Rice surpassed 100 assists for the third-consecutive season in 2024-25.
See the full 2025-26 Big Ten women's basketball preseason honors below.
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 selections listed in ALL CAPS
Players Mentioned
C
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