Kiki Iriafen: Nigerian Pride and Rise to the U.S. Team
The prominent basketball player, Kiki Iriafen, has been called up by the United States national team, generating mixed reactions. A representative of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed pride in Iriafen’s achievements, although he regretted that she would probably not represent Nigeria internationally.
Iriafen, of Nigerian origin, was one of the 18 players selected for the training camp of the United States women’s national basketball team, which will take place from December 12 to 14 at Duke University, North Carolina.
“We are proud of her achievements from college to the WNBA, and we have been following her. It’s a bit sad for us that she will not represent Nigeria, but that was always something difficult. We wish her the best with the US team, but the door will remain open here for her as long as possible.”
NBBF Representative
Kiki Iriafen, Mystics forward, was named to the 2025 WNBA All-Rookie team.Despite not representing Nigeria in international competitions, Iriafen maintains strong ties to her culture. In early November, she participated in the annual “Battle of Jollof” in New York, wearing Nigerian colors to support the Nigerian team, led by Arike Ogunbowale, which defeated Ghana to claim the jollof rights for a year.
Iriafen will join nine other players who will debut at the national team camp. Among them are her teammate on the Mystics, Sonia Citron, as well as Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Lauren Betts, Cameron Brink, Veronica Burton, Caitlin Clark, Rickea Jackson, and JuJu Watkins.
Citron and Iriafen became the eighth and ninth players in franchise history, and the first pair of Mystics teammates, to be named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Iriafen, selected in the fourth round of the 2025 WNBA Draft, has had an exceptional rookie season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, with 48.8% field goal shooting accuracy.
She was one of five players, along with Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso, Jonquel Jones, Alyssa Thomas, and MVP A’ja Wilson, who averaged at least 12 points and 8 rebounds with 48% or more shooting efficiency during the 2025 season, and is one of seven rookies in WNBA history to achieve this.
In addition, she recorded 16 double-doubles, the most for a rookie in 2025 and a franchise record in a single season, ranking fifth in the league. Iriafen joined Angel Reese as the only rookies in WNBA history with multiple streaks of double-doubles of four or more games.
Her 8.5 rebounds per game are the most for a rookie in franchise history and ranked fourth in the WNBA this season.
Finished third among all rookies in scoring, first in rebounds per game, second in field goal percentage, and led all rookies in second-chance points (2.8) and total free throws made (138) and attempted (176).
This adds to other franchise and WNBA records, including the franchise’s single-season rebounding record (376), being the first rookie in franchise history to earn the league’s Rookie of the Month honors after averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in May; recording the most 10+ point and 5+ rebound games in a single season in franchise history and the second-most 10+ point and 5+ rebound games by a rookie in WNBA history (31) and accumulating the most 10+ rebound games by a rookie in the franchise (19) (the fourth-most by a rookie of all time).
The rest of the camp will feature the 2024 Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young, along with Brionna Jones, 2022 FIBA World Cup champion.
Copper and Gray are also world champions, while Plum (2022, 2018) and Griner (2018, 2014) are two-time World Cup champions. Dearica Hamby, who won a bronze medal in 3×3 at the Paris 2024 Olympics, completes the list.
