In the quiet hours before the sun stretches across Los Angeles, Kiki Iriafen is already moving. The 20-something forward—one of the brightest new stars rising out of the WNBA’s new era—has her routine locked in with a discipline that feels both old-school and brand-new. At the practice facility she treats like a second home, she lifts, shoots, runs, repeats. Then she recovers with the kind of militant care only pro athletes truly understand: ice baths, treatment, stretching, and whatever else it takes to keep “the moneymaker,” as she calls her body, ready for battle.
“I wake up early so I can maximize my day,” she says, smiling the kind of smile that only belongs to people who know they’re just getting started.
If you know Kiki Iriafen now, you might assume she always dreamed of dominating the game. That’s the thing—she didn’t. Basketball was not her first love; in fact, she hated it. But when you’re tall, athletic, gifted, and raised by parents who see possibility where you see inconvenience, eventually the universe starts nudging you forward.
And then eighth grade happened.
Her first all-girls team, her first real taste of camaraderie, and suddenly basketball didn’t feel like a chore. It felt like a language. By high school, she still thought she “sucked,” but the real shift happened when she realized hard work produced immediate results. “I fell in love with seeing improvement,” she says. “I stuck with it because I could see myself getting better.”
That determination sent her soaring—McDonald’s All-American, top recruit, and the kind of college player who didn’t just perform; she changed games. The WNBA came calling, and now her life operates on a bigger stage, with bigger lights, and even bigger expectations.
But Kiki Iriafen is built for that.
A Player of the Moment—and a Player of the Future
On the court, she is ferocious. Competitive. Unapologetically physical. Off the court? She’s goofy, warm, and the type of teammate who screams the loudest when anyone else scores. “I love seeing my teammates do well more than anything else,” she says. “That brings me joy.”
She’s also stepping confidently into the blossoming business of women’s sports. Whether she’s talking about beauty, lifestyle, or on-court performance, her interests stretch way beyond basketball.
One partnership she’s especially proud of is her deal with Skechers. “It’s authentic,” she says. “They care about me as a person. They listen to my input. It’s athlete-first.” The tagline—Comfort That Performs—fits her perfectly. Her approach to the game marries style and substance: you have to look good, you have to feel good, and you have to perform. All three matter.
Her off-day routine includes a nap (“non-negotiable”), matcha, and time with friends—a friend group she describes with the balance of someone living a fully dimensional life. “I’m a girls’ girl,” she laughs. “But I love my guy friends, too.”
Grace, Grit, and Growth
Iriafen’s emerging star power is arriving during a cultural boom for the WNBA. The league is hotter, louder, more visible, more profitable, and more culturally centered than ever. She knows it’s a privilege to enter the league right now. She also knows it’s a responsibility.
“I’m blessed to be here at this time,” she says. “More eyeballs, more support, more opportunities—that inspires me to keep working.”
And she does work. Even during the playful moments—teaching Jamila a jump shot using the classic B.E.E.F. acronym, showing off ball-handling, laughing through missed layups—you can see it. She’s locked in. She’s being present. She’s having fun. But she is not distracted.
“Comfort Is the Enemy of Achievement.”
If there’s one quote that encapsulates the next generation of athletes, it’s the mantra Kiki repeats toward the end of the interview.
“Comfort is the enemy of achievement,” she says. “If you feel comfortable, it might be good for the moment. But if you want greatness? You can’t stay there. You get better when you’re uncomfortable.”
It’s the kind of line that feels more like sermon than advice. The kind of sentence you want to scribble on a sticky note and put on your bathroom mirror. And it is proof—Kiki is not just Next Up because she’s talented. She’s Next Up because she’s thinking like someone who intends to be here for a very long time.
She’s a hooper. She’s a personality. She’s a walking reminder that young athletes can be multifaceted, stylish, business-minded, joyful, and still absolutely lethal on game day.
And when she steps onto that hardwood with her blend of grace and power?
Yeah. She’s the one to beat—and the one to learn from.