Friendly competition can help even the best of players grow.

And with junior point guard Kiki Rice out of the lineup for UCLA women’s basketball with a minor shoulder injury, a freshman has stepped into her place.

Elina Aarnisalo has started at the one for the Bruins to kick off the season. As an unranked international talent, her skill was highly anticipated, but becoming a legitimate challenger to Rice’s position was unexpected.

In her Pauley Pavilion debut and second game as a Bruin, the Helsinki local put up 19 points and six assists, outscoring the entire team outside of junior center Lauren Betts’ career-high 31 points. Aarnisalo even outperformed veteran junior guard Londynn Jones as well as her fellow freshmen – who are all five-star recruits – and two incredibly promising transfers in junior forwards Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker.

Aarnisalo’s performance thus far is outright impressive.

The Finnish guard boasts professional experience that is rare in collegiate players. After graduating from high school a year early, Aarnisalo represented the Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen in the BNXT League, Belgium’s top women’s basketball division.

Even more impressive was her success in the league, as she averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and 1.3 steals on 46.7% shooting while competing for the Kangoeroes at the 2023-2024 Eurocup.

But despite the 5-foot-10 guard’s success as a Bruin so far, it’s impractical to compare just three matches to Rice’s two seasoned years at the helm of the Bruins’ offense.

Rice came to Westwood already boasting a heaping pile of honors, from being named the second-best recruit of the class of 2022 to the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. As though that wasn’t enough, Rice was tabbed a McDonald’s All-American that year and was a three-time gold medalist for the United States, all before starting at UCLA.

Despite such a hefty resume, Rice clearly did not stop there.

The No. 2 recruit started in all but one game during her freshman campaign, ultimately being named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. She went on to score 430 points – the highest of any freshman in the conference and the 14th highest in the Pac-12.

Rice boasted an even stronger sophomore year after she was joined by Betts – the No. 1 recruit of the 2022 class. As coach Cori Close added a much-needed big to her lineup, Rice worked seamlessly off the 6-foot-7 center. Both then-sophomores earned All-Pac-12 honors, with Rice improving on all of her shooting percentages and setting career highs in points, rebounds and steals, with 25, 11 and seven, respectively.

But with a minor shoulder injury, Rice’s prowess is currently on hold – giving Aarnisalo the opportunity to shine. Rice’s return is still unclear, and her status is day-to-day.

While Aarnisalo is certainly impressive, lighting up Pauley Pavilion with 19 points in her home debut, comparing her to Rice after just three games is unjust.

As Close said following the match against Colgate, “E (Aarnisalo) did some good things, but we got a long way to go.”

It would truly be a shock to fans, myself included, if Rice returned from injury and was not UCLA’s starting floor general – particularly once the ever-competitive Big Ten conference play approaches.

Nevertheless, Aarnisalo provides healthy competition as Rice slowly but surely returns from the bench. With Aarnisalo pushing the pace and producing numbers for the Bruins, Rice is set to face some friendly fire – pressure that can only sharpen her edge. The tussle between the two will only be an asset for both playmakers, serving as fuel for each to raise their standards.

Without Rice, UCLA has looked messier than usual. Despite winning by 18 points against Colgate, the first quarter came with a bit of back-and-forth as the Bruins left the back door open – allowing for unguarded Raiders to rack up early points.

Rice wasn’t the only player absent at Sunday’s game against the Raiders. Junior guard Gabriela Jaquez was out with a minor foot injury sustained during practice earlier in the week, and graduate forward Angela Dugalić was busy representing Serbia at the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers 2025 in Europe.

But even against Louisville, something seemed missing on the court. Rice’s usual commanding presence was replicated by Betts and Jones, who have stepped up as strong voices this season.

Aarnisalo is talented, but at the end of the day, she remains both young and inexperienced. Her voice is yet to be found and likely will develop with time.

Rice, however, can reap the benefits of just watching and learning. Aarnisalo plays her heart out on the court – a signal to Rice, and the entire roster, of the mentality required to make it to March.

Already owning a nine-point lead as the first quarter against Colgate closed, Aarnisalo launched a buzzer-beating jump shot to enter the locker room with an 11-point lead.

While Rice has never been one to play without fire, Aarnisalo’s passion can spur the veteran to give that extra effort upon her return. As an upperclassman veteran competing in front of a crowd that’s already familiar with her, the hope is that Rice remembers she still must prove herself.

No matter who starts in the point guard position, there is always an NCAA title and a conference title on the line – and Rice has yet to achieve either of those feats.