Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen says her Nigerian heritage has been central to her emergence as one of the WNBA's rising stars. In a social media video, the 23-year-old spoke about the mindset passed down by her parents, Harrison and Yemi.
"I think it's definitely made me who I am, especially this idea of whatever you put your mind to, you can do it," Iriafen said. "I've never heard of a Nigerian that's like, woe is me or, oh, I can't do it."
Selected by Washington with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft after a college career split between Stanford and USC, Iriafen averaged 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds on 48.8 percent shooting in her rookie year. She recorded 16 double-doubles, earned an All-Star selection and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team alongside fellow first-round pick Sonia Citron.
Iriafen added another All-Star nod this season and recently represented the United States at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, playing all five games as the Americans went unbeaten to qualify for the World Cup in Berlin. She made her Nigerian heritage a centrepiece of her 2025 draft appearance, wearing a custom gold outfit by Nigerian designer Nneka Alexander.
