When JuJu Watkins decided to play for Southern California, part of the appeal was bringing glory back to her hometown. The banners from USC’s 1983 and 1984 championships have stood together for decades … without much expectation of adding a third one.
For as talented as she is – setting numerous freshman records in 2023-24 and guiding the Trojans to their first Elite Eight in 30 years – Watkins could only shoulder so much of the burden. While she commanded the backcourt and had a solidified post presence in Rayah Marshall, another star could have really elevated the team.
Luckily, Watkins has made USC the place to be, and another star joined the fold when Kiki Iriafen returned to her roots. She’s helped make the Trojans one of the championship favorites.
Born in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles, Iriafen became a star at Harvard-Westlake School, setting the school record for points and rebounds. She started her college career at Stanford in 2021, and her minutes and production continued to rise as the years went on. She started every game for Stanford in 2023-24.
Playing alongside future WNBA first-round pick Cameron Brink, forming one of the best frontcourts in the country, Iriafen had a career year with 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Iriafen was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year and 2024 Katrina McClain Award winner for the best power forward in the country.
But Iriafen wanted to come home. She wanted her family around for her final season of college ball.
She knew the perfect place to go: USC.
“I truly love being here,” Iriafen said. “Every night feels like senior night because I get to have my family and the people that have helped raise me and get me to where I am come watch my games.”
What makes Kiki Iriafen so special?
No player likes missing shots, but if you’re wearing a USC jersey, you probably don’t mind it. That’s because there’s a good chance Iriafen grabbed the rebound and is ready to dish it right back to you.
It’s already a challenge defending Iriafen, but it’s probably just as difficult to keep her from the offensive boards. She averages 8.4 rebounds per game, but half of them come off the offensive glass, the 11th-best mark in the country. In USC’s most recent outing against Ohio State, six of her 13 rebounds came on the offensive end, helping pace the Trojans to 19 offensive rebounds and overall domination of the boards, 62-30.
In addition to being a game-wrecker defensively, she knows how to score. On a team that has several scoring options, she’s the second-leading scorer with 18 points per game, only behind Watkins.
She may not be the top scoring option, but she’s risen to the occasion with Watkins in a slump. The star guard has started slow in the past four games while shooting just 31% from the field. USC is 3-1 during that stretch, but Iriafen has stepped up by shooting 53%, proving Watkins doesn’t need to have lights-out performances in order for USC to succeed.
“(Watkins) doesn’t have to expect herself to come in every single night and try to carry a team,” Iriafen said. “I wanted it to be like: we want you to dominate and you’re going to dominate, but if you need somebody, I’m right here.”
Iriafen’s all-around game continues to impress coach Lindsay Gottlieb. When Gottlieb brought Iriafen to play for Southern California, she believed Iriafen’s experience winning and with leadership would be a key. It’s proving to be true late in the season, and Iriafen feels extremely confident in herself to be a top contributor as the games start to mean more.
USC felt like the perfect place for Iriafen to prepare herself to play professionally. There’s no doubt she will be in the WNBA later this year; she is heavily projected to be a first-round pick in April’s draft.
But before Iriafen goes off to the pros, she has her eyes set on a national championship. Like Watkins, she wants to bring the glory back to her hometown.
“I’m trying to just leave everything out on the floor,” she said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Not just JuJu: Kiki Iriafen another dangerous piece for USC basketball
