Kiki Iriafen is able to take the leap.
Everybody held their collective breath when JuJu Watkins went down with a torn ACL in her proper knee in USC’s second spherical win in opposition to Mississippi State within the NCAA event.
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The star of faculty basketball was gone identical to that.
The one-seeded Trojans and one of many favorites to win the nationwide championship simply misplaced their greatest participant and chief.
That’s when all eyes shifted to Iriafen.
The 6′ 3″ senior switch from Stanford would not let her Trojans unravel simply because Watkins went down.
Iriafen proceeded to place the group on her again.
The star ahead completed with 36 factors and 9 rebounds, going 16/22 from the sphere.
She wasn’t able to go house that evening.
Sadly for Iriafen and the Trojans, the lack of Watkins was an excessive amount of in opposition to Paige Bueckers and the eventual champions, the Connecticut Huskies.
They fell to UConn within the Elite Eight 78-64.
Thus, bringing an finish to Iriafen’s collegiate profession.
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On Monday night, the Washington Mystics chosen Iriafen with the fourth general choose within the WNBA draft.
All the draft course of could be a anxious time, however fortunately for Iriafen, she might rely on good buddy Cameron Brink for recommendation.
Iriafen performed with Brink, one among basketball’s most recognizable faces, whereas at Stanford earlier than transferring to USC.
Brink was the second general choose by the Los Angeles Sparks in final yr’s draft.
Brink and Iriafen performed on a Last 4 group collectively in 2022.
“[Iriafen] is like my greatest cheerleader, and I’m attempting to be hers,” Brink informed The Stanford Every day in 2024.
March Insanity High Tales
“Even in laborious moments, we’ll be laughing and remind one another it’s not that severe, however we’re going to compete our hardest. She’s a blast to play with.”
Iriafen was a member of the All-Pac-12 Staff final season and earned first-team All-Large Ten honors this yr.
She is able to take her sport to the skilled degree and be a star in Washington.
However do not get it twisted, the 22-year-old is not simply outlined by what she will do on the court docket.
In actual fact, what she does off the court docket is as equally spectacular, if no more so.
Whereas her WNBA aspirations have been achieved, Iriafen additionally desires to do a handful of different issues.
Whereas attending Stanford, Iriafen was a design engineering main. She has expressed curiosity in turning into a physician or engineer, and even talked about desirous to try to mannequin.
“I really like modeling,” Iriafen informed The Stanford Every day final yr.
“I’ve been attempting to do loads of journal modeling and runway modeling. I’m going to be a supermodel sooner or later.”
Iriafen’s Nigerian-born dad and mom have at all times pushed her to prioritize lecturers over basketball.
Fortunately for her, she has excelled at each. The 22-year-old is at present pursuing a grasp’s diploma in entrepreneurship and innovation at USC.
“I’m keen about my tradition, so I might do some design work in Nigeria or work with girls and youngsters engaged on girls’s well being,” Iriafen stated.
The world is Iriafen’s oyster.
No matter she chooses to do, she might be profitable.
And the Mystics would be the first to seek out out.
How one can watch March Insanity within the UK
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March Insanity is likely one of the most fun occasions of the yr for basketball followers, with a complete of 68 groups battling it out to grow to be the Division 1 school champions.
This yr UConn have the possibility to grow to be solely the second group ever to finish a March Insanity three-peat, having emerged victorious for the final two years.
talkSPORT can have the newest information on the event, however for UK basketball followers the best way to observe is thru Sky Sports activities. The broadcaster might be exhibiting EVERY March Insanity sport by means of their Sky Sports activities + streaming service.
Click on right here to enroll to a Sky Sports activities subscription, or learn our article on the very best Sky Sports activities offers obtainable now.