Vince Carter Sends Message to Kiki Rice As 1st Pick in Toronto Tempo History

Last year, the Golden State Valkyries set a high bar when they became the first WNBA expansion franchise to make the playoffs in its inaugural season.

The WNBA is welcoming Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo as expansion franchises in 2026, and both rosters are shaping up to be instantly competitive.

The Tempo are especially tempting as a playoff pick. Toronto hired Sandy Brondello as its first head coach in franchise history. Brondello led the Phoenix Mercury to an WNBA title in 2014 and led the New York Liberty to their first WNBA championship in franchise history in 2024.

The Tempo added another proven winner by selecting Kiki Rice with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday night. Rice is fresh off helping the UCLA Bruins win their first NCAA national championship in women’s basketball program history.

After becoming the Tempo’s first draft pick in franchise history, Rice received a message from Hall of Famer Vince Carter, who started his iconic NBA career as the Toronto Raptors‘ first-round pick in 1998.

“I want to say congratulations to you on making history,” Carter said in a pre-recorded video to Rice posted by the Tempo. “You’re about to do something special, not only for your family, but the city of Toronto. You get to represent that Toronto Tempo. You get to represent the city of Toronto. And everything you do will be upheld and cherished and loved.”

Carter continued, “Enjoy the moment. Enjoy your night. But remember, you are a part of history. Go make your legacy. Go have fun. Go Tempo.”

In the moments after WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the Tempo’s selection of Rice, she spoke with ESPN’s Holly Rowe and said, “Never been to Toronto, but really excited to get there. My uncle is Canadian. I have some family living there, and I know it’s gonna be a great time.”

In the early 2000s, Carter blossomed into the Raptors’ first-ever homegrown superstar. Rice has the makeup to be the same seminal figure for the Tempo.

See more clips from Rice’s draft night below.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM.