The Toronto Tempo’s loss against the New York Liberty was not the only undesirable result they had to experience on Wednesday night. Rookie guard Kiki Rice’s injury added quite a dose of extra concern to that defeat. And, as it appears, the situation might even be worse than it initially looked on the court.

Following the injury, Rice actually limped and hopped back to the Tempo locker room. However, more than one eyewitness has since come out with rather worrying news about her condition after the game. Specifically, WNBA analyst Terrika Foster-Brasby shared on her X page that both she and award-winning women’s basketball insider Khristina Williams saw Rice using crutches after the game. Williams also confirmed the report on her own X account, further fueling concerns about the severity of the injury.

The incident that led to Kiki Rice‘s injury happened with only 1:33 remaining in the game. Rice drove to the basket for a layup attempt, but Liberty center Jonquel Jones blocked her shot. The contact caused Rice to land awkwardly as her left leg bent backward, and she immediately grabbed her lower leg and ankle in visible pain. After the medical staff attended to her on the court, she eventually got up and hopped directly to the locker room for further evaluation.

Using crutches might signal that whatever injury Kiki Rice sustained could be a serious one. However, it is important to note that players with leg or ankle injuries often use crutches as a precautionary measure, just as Foster-Brasby also pointed out in her post. In fact, this practice does not only happen in the WNBA alone. It happens across virtually every sport, and depending on the situation, the medical team may give the player crutches, walking boots, or even medical scooters. The idea is to keep weight off a freshly injured ankle, foot, or knee which will help prevent further damage to potentially compromised ligaments, tendons, or bones.

So far, there has been no official release from the Toronto Tempo regarding the exact nature of Kiki Rice‘s injury or its severity. And that perhaps, to an extent, reinforces the impact that this crutches news has had in driving a little bit of fear among fans. But regardless, the only real option now is to wait and hopefully receive favorable news once the team complete their medical evaluation.

Sandy Brondello Expresses Concern for Kiki Rice After Late-Game Injury vs. Liberty

Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello spoke briefly about Kiki Rice’s injury during her postgame press conference. In the video shared on the Tempo’s YouTube channel, Brondello was asked if there was any update on the rookie guard’s condition. She revealed that there was none at the moment. However, she did express concern about the situation, describing it as unfortunate while also hoping for a quick recovery for Rice.

Her exact words were, “No update on Kiki’s. Hopefully she’s okay. She’s been a tough kid but yeah unfortunate.” Despite being a rookie, Rice has absolutely been a key piece for the Toronto Tempo this season. She came in as the franchise’s first-ever draft pick, selected No. 6 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft. And she has quickly established herself as an important part of the rotation, featuring in all 10 games the team has played so far.

And her performances have been quite impressive as well. Rice is currently averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting an incredibly efficient 55.2% from the field and 40.9% from three-point range. Specifically, after going scoreless in her professional debut, she has scored in double figures in every game since. Unfortunately, she was unable to keep that streak alive against the Liberty, as she stopped at nine points before exiting the game due to her injury.

After this 97-82 loss to the New York Liberty, the Tempo now sit at 5-5 on the season. They also occupy 10th place in the combined league standings. They will face the Sky in their next game, and will be hoping to bounce back with a win. But currently, it remains to be seen whether Kiki Rice will be available for that encounter.