Quote:Q. Kiki, I know that you had a chance to play for Stanford. You were heavily considering them, Tara VanDerveer. Not a lot of people turn that down. Just talk about your decision to choose UCLA, and obviously it says a lot about your coach, Cori Close, and her program, that you would choose them. Talk about your decision to choose UCLA and why that was the right decision for you no?
KIKI RICE: Obviously going through the recruiting process I had the opportunity to go on visits and talk to so many incredible coaches and teams, but I think really what separated UCLA for me was the fact that they really checked so many of my boxes, and I think coming to a school and accomplishing something that hasn't been done before at a school is just so appealing to me.
To be part of a group to be the first to do something, make it to a Final Four, win a National Championship, is really what drew me here.
I agree with the earlier post that said this is a non-answer. To me it sounds like a mature and thoughtful evasion. It is a way of saying "no" to Stanford without dissing Stanford or Tara in the slightest. It also sounds like it is exactly what Close would have said to her when she knew she was up against Stanford, and Kiki is reflecting that line back.
However, I don't believe for a minute that this was her real reason. I don't know what the real reason was, but it is far more likely to be something related to a particular relationship, an affinity for LA and/or its cultural communities, impressions of play time or a preferred style of play or style of coaching, perhaps a particular academic program that Stanford lacks and UCLA has, hopes for a more attractive NIL deal in a bigger local market, etc. Pure unadulterated speculation on our part, but have to believe it is about more than avoiding programs with lofty records of accomplishment. After all, there are a great many of those out there besides UCLA.