Here is everything you need to know about the Nigerian basketball player, Okikiola “Kiki” Iriafen, who is a solid forward and was selected as a top-five pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Who is Kiki Iriafen?
Kiki Iriafen is a talented basketball player who plays as a forward. Her full name is Okikiola, which is a Yoruba name that translates to fame of wealth in English. It is a name for the people that have their roots from the southwestern part of Nigeria.
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Kiki played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, one of the top women’s basketball teams in the United States. During her time at Stanford, she showed great improvement each season and became a key player for the team.
Kiki is praised for her ability to score, rebound, and defend. She uses her height and athletic ability to dominate in the paint, helping her team both on offence and defence. Coaches and fans admire her work ethic and passion for the game. She is also a good teammate, often encouraging others and showing leadership during games and practices.
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Off the court, Kiki is known for being focused and disciplined. She takes her studies seriously and works hard in everything she does, making many young players look up to her as a role model.
As her basketball journey continues, many believe she has a bright future in the sport, and she is ready to make a name in the WNBA. Kiki Iriafen is a name to watch in women’s basketball, and her dedication and talent make her stand out.
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Where is Kiki Iriafen from?
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Kiki is from Los Angeles, California, where she was born. However, she is Nigerian by roots, as both of her parents are from Nigeria. She often relates with her roots, referencing it several times. Kiki has a dream of coming back to Nigeria to work on women’s health initiatives in the country.
How old is Kiki Iriafen? (Kiki Iriafen Age)
Kiki was born on August 26, 2003. As of April 2025, she is 21 years old.
How tall is Kiki Iriafen? (Kiki Iriafen Height)
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Kiki is 6 feet 3 inches tall (1.91 metres). Her height helps her perform well as a forward in basketball, allowing her to score points and grab rebounds effectively. She has used her size and skills to become a standout player in college.
Who are Kiki Iriafen’s Parents?
Kiki is the daughter of Yemi and Harrison Iriafen. Her parents are from Nigeria, where her grandparents lived before moving to the USA in the last few years. Kiki’s parents moved to the United States several years ago in the hope of better opportunities.
Who is Kiki Iriafen’s Mother?
Kiki’s mother is Yemi Iriafen, who is a home health consultant in the USA.
Who is Kiki Iriafen’s Father?
Kiki’s father is Harrison Iriafen, and he owns an agricultural business in the USA.
Kiki Iriafen Siblings
Kiki is the eldest of three children in the Iriafen family. Her siblings are Shuby and Oyinkan, and they have also taken up sports. Shuby plays soccer, while Oyinkan plays basketball.
Kiki Iriafen High School Career
Kiki had an outstanding high school basketball career at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. She became the school's all-time leader in both points (2,454) and rebounds (1,655).
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Her performance earned her multiple honors, including being a two-time Los Angeles Daily News Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American in 2021.
In her junior year, she led her team to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title and was named Division 1 Player of the Year.
What year is Kiki Iriafen?
Kiki was part of the 2021 recruiting class for Stanford University. She was a highly regarded five-star recruit, ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN. Iriafen chose Stanford over offers from top programs like Baylor, UCLA, UConn, and Notre Dame.
Kiki Iriafen Recruitment
Iriafen chose Stanford for its strong academics and basketball program. She chose to become a design engineering major, though she also had aspiring dreams of being a doctor or an engineer while also being open to becoming a model.
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Kiki excelled at both academics and basketball. She also attended USC, where she is pursuing a master's degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.
Kiki Iriafen College Career
Kiki Iriafen had a strong college basketball career, playing for both Stanford University and the University of Southern California (USC).
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In her freshman year, Iriafen took up a bench role and averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. She earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors from league media for her performance that year.
There was a slight improvement in her sophomore season, when she averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, though her junior year was when she peaked.
She averaged 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in her junior year (2023-24), earning the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award along with All-Pac-12 honors. She also won the 2024 Katrina McClain Award as the nation's top power forward.
For her final college season, Kiki transferred to USC, returning to her hometown of Los Angeles. There, she averaged 18.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and earned Third Team All-American honors from the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
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During the NCAA Tournament, she scored 36 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a game against UConn, taking charge of the team after Juju Watkins tore her ACL during the tournament.
In 2025, Kiki was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Draft. Her college career showed her growth and skill, making her a promising player for the professional league.
Why did Kiki Iriafen Transfer?
Kiki transferred to USC for her final college season, and it could have been for multiple reasons. Having come from LA, it was an opportunity to return home and get closer to her family.
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Another reason is the retirement of Tara VanDerveer from Stanford, along with the departure of some of the team’s best players.
But the biggest basketball factor she cited was preparing for the WNBA. On Haley Jones’s podcast, Iriafen said joining USC’s talented roster would ensure a "seamless transition to the W."
Kiki Iriafen Stats
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Kiki played 169 games in her college career. 35 of those games were during her only season with USC, while the rest were with Stanford.
However, she averaged her highest number of minutes per game (MPG) during her time with USC, averaging 30.3 MPG.
Her best scoring year was the 2023-24 season, her junior year and last season with Stanford. She averaged 19.4 points per game (PPG), dropping to 18.0 PPG.
Her average in college was 12.2 PPG across four years with a 52.2% shooting accuracy from the field. She shot 28.6% from beyond the arc and 74.7% from the free throw line.
Kiki Iriafen WNBA Draft
Kiki Iriafen attended the 2025 WNBA draft, where she was projected to be a top-five pick. The forward dressed in a stunning golden gown, styled by a Nigerian designer, paying homage to her roots. She attended with her family, who were all also dressed in Nigerian outfits.
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She was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
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The Mystics chose her to strengthen their frontcourt and contribute offensively. Iriafen expressed excitement about joining the team and is expected to make an immediate impact in her rookie season.
Kiki Iriafen Honors
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WBCA Coaches' All-American (2025)
Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2025)
First-team All-Big Ten (2025)
Katrina McClain Award (2024)
Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year (2024)
All-Pac-12 Team (2024)
Pac-12 All-Freshman Team – Media (2022)
McDonald's All-American (2021)
Kiki Iriafen Aspirations
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Off the court, Kiki is interested in modelling and may pursue a career in medicine or engineering.
She has a degree in design engineering from Stanford and is studying entrepreneurship at USC. Her parents, originally from Nigeria, taught her to value both education and hard work. Kiki aims to inspire others by showing that it's possible to succeed in sports and academics at the same time.