rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
The USC Trojans have enjoyed quite the turnaround in recent years. Last season, USC made its first NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance since 1994, and with superstar JuJu Watkins putting together one of the strongest freshman seasons in NCAA history, the Trojans quickly went from being a rebuilding program under head coach Lindsay Gottlieb to a suddenly popular pick to win it all at some point during Watkins’ collegiate career.
One of the surest signs of USC’s newfound status was its success in the transfer portal. Power forward Kiki Iriafen, who had just won the Katrina McClain Award in her junior season at Stanford, chose to transfer to USC amidst the retirement of legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer and the impending breakup of the Pac-12 conference. Her addition would give the Trojans the frontcourt scorer they lacked during their previous NCAA Tournament run and ideally make for a more balanced offense around Watkins.
Iriafen’s arrival has indeed coincided with USC taking that next big step as a program. In their first season as part of the Big Ten conference, the Trojans are 24-2 (14-1 against Big Ten opponents) and, with just over one week to go in the regular season, are ranked No. 4 in the country by the Associated Press.
Iriafen’s statistical resume speaks for itself: She’s currently averaging 18 points, 8.3 rebounds (4.2 offensive) and one steal per game, and players who can do that don’t grow on trees. But it’s her combination of physical tools—namely, a long wingspan and impressive vertical leap—and diversity of ways in which she makes an impact on the floor that sets her apart from most frontcourt players. Let’s take a look at Iriafen’s case to be drafted to the WNBA in 2025.
Honors and statistics
Ranked as the No. 19 overall recruit in the class of 2021 by ESPN HoopGurlz, Iriafen was described by ESPN scout Dan Olson as an “ultra-athletic interior prospect” and a “quick leaper” who thrives in transition. She was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2021 and totaled 2,454 points and 1,655 rebounds in high school.
Iriafen didn’t see much playing time in her first two seasons at Stanford, starting just 27 total games as a freshman and sophomore and averaging 5.5 points per game. She did, however, shoot 54.5 percent from the field in those two seasons, and she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team by conference media in 2022.
It was during Iriafen’s junior season when she truly broke out and put her name on the map as a top WNBA prospect. In her first and only season as a full-time starter at Stanford, Iriafen posted big numbers, averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game, shooting 54.6 percent from the field while also chipping in 2.3 assists. She earned plenty of awards for her efforts, most notably the Katrina McClain Award, given to the nation’s top power forward; Iriafen was also named to the All-Pac-12 Team and earned All-American honorable mention nods from the Associated Press and WBCA.
Iriafen’s athleticism and finesse make her a well-rounded frontcourt scorer
Iriafen’s strengths, physically speaking, are fairly obvious. With long, efficient strides and a wingspan that far exceeds her height (6-foot-3), she’s a natural athlete and well-equipped to match up against players of similar size who lack either her quickness or vertical explosion—or both.
There’s much more to Iriafen’s game than raw athleticism, though. She plays with plenty of finesse to go along with her physical tools, and it makes her a multifaceted scoring threat from anywhere below the free throw line. Soft hands and a long reach make her a constant lob threat, and when she isn’t operating deep in the paint, she can face up and either attack defenders off the dribble or elevate over them for a midrange jumper.
“Who wouldn’t want to play with Kiki?” mused Watkins after a recent USC win over Michigan State. “She can create her own shots. All you got to do is just get her the ball in the post. It makes my life and everybody’s life a lot easier.”
It certainly helps to have a player who can score on post-ups, and Iriafen can do that, but she isn’t cast quite from the mold of your classic back-to-the-basket bruiser. She’s at her best when she’s staying active and finding soft spots in the defense where she can get the ball easily. According to Synergy Sports, 17.3 percent of Iriafen’s offensive possessions come via basket cuts, and 16.8 percent come on putbacks after offensive rebounds—a testament to just how impactful she is for the Trojans, even when plays aren’t being run for her.
Highlights: Iriafen scores 24 points against Ohio State
This kind of plug-and-play ability is sure to appeal to WNBA coaches and general managers. Just as she went from being Stanford’s go-to player to playing alongside Watkins at USC, Iriafen will need to forge a role among established WNBA players early in her pro career, and the faster she can adjust, the more success she’ll have. Iriafen’s game isn’t perfect she has limitations as a defensive playmaker, as noted by Jack Bonin for Swish Appeal last December—but it’s not difficult to see how she’d make an immediate impact for whichever team drafts her, thanks to her level of athleticism and off-ball instincts.
Watch her play
USC has just two games remaining in its regular-season schedule, and both will be televised. This Sunday, Feb. 23, the Trojans will play the Illinois Fighting Illini, who recently snuck back into the Associated Press poll at No. 25. That game will be broadcast on FS1 and will tip-off at 4 p.m. ET.
Then, on March 1, it’s the rematch the country has been waiting for: USC and inter-city rival UCLA. The Trojans got the best of the Bruins back on Feb. 13, even though Iriafen struggled offensively, shooting 4-for-14 from the field. Needless to say, another win would be a major statement for Iriafen and the Trojans, and it will be televised nationally on FOX at 6 p.m. ET.
The Big Ten Tournament will then run from March 5 through March 9, and no matter what happens for USC in the next week, the Trojans will be one of a few programs expected to compete for the tournament championship. Per the tournament bracket, the top four seeds in the standings automatically advance to the quarterfinals; the worst conference record the Trojans can finish with is 14-3, so they won’t play in the tournament until March 7.
All statistics, team records and rankings for the 2024-25 NCAA season are current through Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
