The outstanding basketball player, Kiki Iriafen, has generated mixed feelings in the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF). While they celebrate her success and the call-up to the United States team, they regret not being able to count on her talent to represent Nigeria at the international level.
Iriafen, of Nigerian origin, was selected to participate in 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 is not representing Nigeria, but that was always a difficult thing. We wish her the best with the United States team, but the door will remain open here for her as long as possible.
An NBBF official
This call-up implies that Iriafen will probably not play for Nigeria. An NBBF official, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed that the federation has closely followed the player and regrets missing the opportunity to have her.Kiki Iriafen, jugadora de las Mystics.Despite not representing Nigeria internationally, Iriafen maintains a connection to his culture. In early November, he participated in the “Battle of Jollof” in New York, where he supported the Nigerian team with the green and white colors.
In the camp, Iriafen will join nine other players who will debut in the national team, including 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.
Iriafen and Citron became the eighth and ninth players in franchise history, and the first 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 double-double streaks 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 record for single-season rebounds (376), being the first rookie in franchise history to earn the league’s Rookie of the Month award after averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game in May; recording the most 10+ point, 5+ rebound games in a single season in franchise history and the second-most 10+ point, 5+ rebound games by a rookie in WNBA history (31) and accumulating the most 10+ rebound games by a rookie in franchise history (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 at the Paris 2024 Olympics in 3×3, completes the list.
