Toronto Tempo’s Kiki Rice Suffers Ankle Injury in Loss to Liberty
The Toronto Tempo’s selection of the NCAA champion from UCLA has been sidelined by a left ankle injury sustained during Wednesday night’s match against the New York Liberty.
Toronto Tempo rookie guard Kiki Rice was forced to leave Wednesday night’s contest against the New York Liberty with a left ankle injury in the final two minutes of play. The incident occurred with 1:33 remaining on the clock, following a sequence where Rice fell to the court after her shot was blocked.
According to reports from the Associated Press, Rice was observed holding her left ankle before rising and hopping towards the locker room. She did not return to the floor for the remainder of the game, which the Toronto Tempo ultimately lost to the New York Liberty.
Head coach Sandy Brondello provided minimal detail regarding the player’s status post-game, stating there was no immediate update on Rice’s condition. Brondello acknowledged the disappointment of the situation, describing Rice as a tough player but noting the unfortunate nature of the late-game exit.
Prior to the injury, Rice had contributed nine points and five rebounds. Entering the match, the No. 6 pick in the WNBA draft was averaging 13.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Her recent history includes helping UCLA secure the NCAA national championship just two months prior to joining the Tempo.
The specific severity of the ankle injury remains undetermined, and no timeline has been established for Rice’s potential return to play. The Tempo will need to manage their roster depth while awaiting further medical assessments on their young guard.
