Thunder's Cason Wallace Beams When Asked About Kiki Rice Getting Drafted
The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing to make a run at repeating as champions when the NBA playoffs start this weekend.
Thunder guard Cason Wallace put that to the side to support former UCLA Bruins star guard Kiki Rice, his girlfriend, at the 2026 WNBA Draft in New York City on Monday night. The expansion Toronto Tempo made Rice their first draft pick in franchise history by selecting her sixth overall, and Wallace gushed about experiencing the monumental moment alongside Rice.
During the draft, Wallace took photos of Rice on the orange carpet and said in a video posted by the WNBA that it was “unbelievable” to see Rice “have her moment.”
“It was a lot of fun, just seeing my lady get drafted, and her and her family have fun,” Wallace said through a gigantic smile on Thursday, per Clemente Almanza.
Wallace admitted he was “more nervous at my draft” because it was “just fun” to watch Rice fulfill her dream. Wallace was drafted 10th overall in 2023.
Rice was the third consecutive Bruin off the draft board, following Lauren Betts to the Washington Mystics at No. 4 and Gabriela Jaquez to the Chicago Sky at No. 5. UCLA became the first women’s college basketball program to have five first-round picks in the same WNBA draft (via Associated Press).
The Bruins beat the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 on April 5 to win the first NCAA national championship in program history and finish the season with a program-best 37-1 record.
During the 2025 NBA Finals last June, Rice confirmed to “WAGTalk” that she and Wallace had just recently begun dating but had known each other since the eighth grade.
Rice won’t be able to repay the favor and support Wallace during the playoffs because she’s in Toronto preparing for training camp, beginning Sunday, April 19. The WNBA’s 30th season tips off on May 8.
Rice will face off against her former UCLA teammates Betts and Angela Dugalic when the Tempo host the Mystics for their season opener on May 8.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 10:31 PM.