As Kiki Rice competes on UCLA’s women’s basketball team for a spot in the national championships on Sunday, cheering her on will be her NBA player boyfriend, Cason Wallace.
“I’ve been around a lot of them because we’re all the same age,” Wallace told The Oklahoman about Rice’s teammates. “It’s fun seeing them do their thing, win and have fun out there on the court.”
Wallace, 22, and Rice, also 22, met at the inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship in Orlando when they were preteens. In 2022, they were pictured together at an event for high school basketball players, so they clearly stayed friends over the years.
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From L-R, All Americans Cason Wallace, Kiki Rice, and Justine Pissott.
According to reports, Wallace and Rice started dating last year, and went public with their relationship after the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Championship last year with an interview on “WAG Talk”:
They soon started making public appearances. In July, they attended the ESPYs together:
And in August, they attended a Dallas Wings vs. Washington Mystics WNBA game together:
Rice, a senior, is a top WNBA prospect in the draft later this month. She made history as Jordan Brand’s first NIL athlete. “As a little girl growing up, I watched a ton of basketball and any basketball fan knows the significance of Michael Jordan when it comes to this game,” she told Complex in 2024. “To partner with them and to be able to be the first Jordan brand NIL athlete meant a lot to me. Not only because it was something I could never have thought would happen but also just because of the opportunities that I’ve been able to have since I’ve been partnered with them.”
She continued, “The rooms that I’ve been able to be in, the people that I’ve been able to meet, it’s something that is really special and I’ll value always. The relationships I’ve had from that partnership have been something that I think will be lifelong relationships.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
