Zykera Rice Joins UCI Women's Basketball Staff as Assistant Coach
August 12, 2026 | Women's Basketball
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball head coach Tamara Inoue has announced the hiring of Zykera Rice as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
"We are thrilled to welcome Zykera to the Anteater family," Inoue said. "Her experience as a decorated player at Gonzaga and overseas gives her a unique perspective that will be invaluable to our student-athletes. She understands what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels, and we know her championship mindset will make an immediate impact on our program."
Rice had a standout career at Gonzaga from 2015-19. She was a two-time team captain for the Bulldogs who won the West Coast Conference championship and made the NCAA Tournament in three of her four seasons. As a senior, she led the Zags to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Rice earned first-team All-WCC honors in 2019 and was a second-team selection in 2018. She was also a WCC All-Academic pick. Rice graduated from Gonzaga with a bachelor's degree in international studies and a master's degree in organizational leadership.
Rice signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm in April 2019. She then went on to play professionally in Finland and Luxemborg. With Peli-Karhut in Kotka, Finland, she led the club to back-to-back league titles and three Cup Championships. Rice was named the Finnish League Forward of the Year (2020 and 2021), the Finnish League Import of the Year (2021), and the Finnish League Player of the Year (2021). She then played for T-71 Basket in Dudelange, Luxembourg, helping her squad to a regular season league title in 2023. They were also finalists in the Cup and League Championships.
On the coaching side, Rice most recently served as a volunteer assistant at East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi, where she provided targeted player development feedback, assisted with recruiting, and helped manage team operations. She also took on the role of Assistant Head AAU Coach with the Trailblazers Coalition, contributing to opponent scouting, practice logistics, and individual player skill development.
"We are thrilled to welcome Zykera to the Anteater family," Inoue said. "Her experience as a decorated player at Gonzaga and overseas gives her a unique perspective that will be invaluable to our student-athletes. She understands what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels, and we know her championship mindset will make an immediate impact on our program."
Rice had a standout career at Gonzaga from 2015-19. She was a two-time team captain for the Bulldogs who won the West Coast Conference championship and made the NCAA Tournament in three of her four seasons. As a senior, she led the Zags to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Rice earned first-team All-WCC honors in 2019 and was a second-team selection in 2018. She was also a WCC All-Academic pick. Rice graduated from Gonzaga with a bachelor's degree in international studies and a master's degree in organizational leadership.
Rice signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm in April 2019. She then went on to play professionally in Finland and Luxemborg. With Peli-Karhut in Kotka, Finland, she led the club to back-to-back league titles and three Cup Championships. Rice was named the Finnish League Forward of the Year (2020 and 2021), the Finnish League Import of the Year (2021), and the Finnish League Player of the Year (2021). She then played for T-71 Basket in Dudelange, Luxembourg, helping her squad to a regular season league title in 2023. They were also finalists in the Cup and League Championships.
On the coaching side, Rice most recently served as a volunteer assistant at East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi, where she provided targeted player development feedback, assisted with recruiting, and helped manage team operations. She also took on the role of Assistant Head AAU Coach with the Trailblazers Coalition, contributing to opponent scouting, practice logistics, and individual player skill development.
Tuesday, August 11
Friday, August 07
Tuesday, August 04
Monday, August 03
