The Toronto Tempo's star rookie, Kiki Rice, was present at the FIFA World Cup match between Germany and the Ivory Coast. Rice enjoyed the match as it got intense in the final minutes, with Germany taking the win 2-1 at the Toronto Stadium.

Rice shared photos from the match and celebrated the "Match day" experience on Instagram.

She was seen with her former soccer teammate, Amelia Warren, with whom she played at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.

Kiki Rice has not just been a basketball star. Earlier in her career, she played soccer and won awards like the 2018-19 District of Columbia Player of the Year and the 2020-21 DCSAA Girls Soccer Player of the Year. She finished her soccer career with 79 goals and 28 assists

Although Rice has a rich history of playing soccer, she later on chose basketball as her career game. She got picked by Toronto in 2026 in round one as pick six in the WNBA.

Kiki Rice's WNBA Career Put To a Halt After Serious Injury

Although the rookie was showing glimpses of her talent in the 10 games that featured for the Tempo, her run was soon put to a stop after she sustained an injury on June 3 against the New York Liberty.

With just one minute, 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Rice went for a basket but got blocked by Jonquel Jones and landed awkwardly on her left ankle. Rice was initially diagnosed with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, but after reevaluation, it was upgraded to Grade 3.

"She's a tough kid, but yeah, it's unfortunate." The Tempo head coach, Sandy Brondello, said after the Liberty game on June 3. But before the injury, Rice was helping her team through her performances.

She averaged 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Rice still ranks fourth in rebounds among the rookies. She also blocked a shot per game, ranking sixth among the rookies for the same.

Rice is not fit to come back, as recovery from the ankle injury could take months. The Tempo side may have to play without her for the rest of the season.

The Tempo currently have an 8-9 record and stands fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and 11th in the league standings. They will play their next game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, June 25.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh