All Bruins

2 Bruins Featured on Midseason Awards Lists

UCLA has a few of the best players in the country.
Travis Tyler|
Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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UCLA Bruins

UCLA's women's basketball team is enjoying one of the program's best seasons in 2026. The Bruins are ranked No. 2 in the country and lead the Big Ten with an undefeated conference record after dominating No. 8 Iowa, likely the next-best comeptition in Big Ten Play.

Many players are having spectacular seasons, and two UCLA players have officially been recognized amon the top-10 at their respective positions at the season's unofficial halfway point.

ucla award
Jan 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) drives to the basket in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA Bruins Up for Awards

Senior point guard Kiki Rice has been named one of 10 midseason finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's best point guard, and fellow guard Gianna Kneepkens has received the same recognition for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the best shooting guard in the country. Both awards come from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

This is the second consecutive season that Rice has been up for the Lieberman Award. SHe was a finalist last season after completing her third year in a row with at least 100 assists. This year, she leads the Bruins in minutes per game and steals per game and is second in points, rebounds, and assists per game.

Nebraska's Britt Prince is the only other Big Ten point guard up for the award, but there will be stiff national competition from the likes of Rori Harmon (Texas), Raven Johnson (South Carolina), Aaliyah Chavez (Oklahoma), Zoe Brooks (North Carolina State), and others.

Kneepkens is also a second-time nominee. She spent the previous four years at the University of Utah and was included on both the Drysdale and Cheryl Miller Awards midseason lists as a hybrid shooting gaurd and small forward last season, following a couple of 30-point games. In her lone season at UCLA, Kneepkens is displaying phenomenal shooting, scoring 13.5 points per game on a career-hihg 52.7% from the field and 95.8% from the free throw line.

Michigan's Syla Swords is the other Big Ten nominee for the Drysdale Award, which also includes Azzi Fudd (UConn), Flau'jae Johnson (LSU), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), and more.

The list will be trimmed to five finalists next month, and the awards for both men's and women's players will be presented later this year. Those include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).

ucla award
Dec 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Gianna Kneepkens (8) is defended by Long Beach State Beach guard Brynna Pukis (32) and forward Kennan Ka (5) as she drives to the basket during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Last month, Rice and senior center Lauren Betts were also named to the Top 25 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award for the top overall player in women's college basketball. Betts won the Lisa Leslie Award last year and should be in the running again when that award list is revealed. She's the only Bruin to win one of the women's awards since they were introduced.

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Travis Tyler
TRAVIS TYLER

Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.