Highly-Touted Transfer Kiki Iriafen Elevating USC Trojans, Juju Watkins

USC Trojans' forward Kiki Irafen has been a major contributor in her first year with the program. The transfer from Stanford has helped ease the offensive stress from USC superstar JuJu Watkins and is the Trojans' second leading scorer.
USC's Kiki Iriafen (44) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025.
USC's Kiki Iriafen (44) during the Indiana versus University of Southern California women's basektball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a promising Elite Eight run in 2024, the USC Trojans women's basketball program looked to the transfer portal to elevate the program to the next level with a few key transfers. USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb managed to reel in one of the best players in the country in Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen.

A star player for the Cardinal, she spent three years in Palo Alto and averaged a double-double in her final season at Stanford before entering the portal and winding up with the cardinal and gold.

us
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (44) during pregame warm-ups before a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Coming into this season, Iriafen was garnering WNBA projections and through 19 games, she has lived up to the expectations. In a preseason article by ESPN, Iriafen was projected to land with the Los Angeles Sparks at the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft.

It didn't take long for Iriafen to make an impact with the Trojans. In their season opener vs. Ole Miss, Iriafen dropped 22 points and 13 rebounds. It was the first of many offensive outbursts she would have with USC. Currently, Iriafen has registered six double-doubles across the 19 games of the season.

Iriafen finished with double-digits points in 18 consecutive games before putting up only seven points across 12 minutes in their win over Purdue on Jan. 22. However, Iriafen didn't play in the second half as she was sidelined with a right knee injury in the second half. The last time she finished with less than 10 points was on Mar. 19, 2023 in Stanford's season-ending loss to Ole Miss.

MORE: Five-Star Wide Receiver Recruit Ethan Feaster Leaning USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns?

MORE: USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Visits California Recruits: Ryder Lyons, Brandon Arrington

MORE: USC Trojans' Eric Musselman After Wisconsin Loss: 'We Have No Home Court Advantage'

us
Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen (left) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the closing minutes of the Trojans win over the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC's JuJu Watkins and Iriafen have teamed up to be one of the most dangerous offensive duos in college basketball. Both players are inside the top 50 for points per game. Watkins sits at No. 3 with 25.3 points and Iriafen is at No. 47 with 18.4 points a night.

This may be the best team USC will have during the three years Watkins is projected to be with the program. USC has two realistic All-American candidates in Iriafen and Watkins as well as a couple of All-Conference caliber players in Rayah Marshall and Kennedy Smith, but Gottlieb will be relying heavily on her dynamic scoring duo to lead USC back to their first Final Four appearance since 1986.

The knee injury Iriafen sustained in the win vs. Purdue will be something to monitor. USC closes out their regular season facing ranked opponents in five of their last nine games and not having Iriafen would be a massive blow for the Trojans.

MORE: Reggie Bush Dreams Of Coaching USC Trojans: ‘I Can Help Win National Championships’

MORE: Chicago Bears Interview Minnesota's Brian Flores For Head Coaching Vacancy

MORE: Caleb Williams Addresses Lincoln Riley Anger, Near Transfer To UCLA Over USC Trojans

MORE: Dallas Cowboys Interested In USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley To Replace Mike McCarthy


Published
Gabriel Duarte
GABRIEL DUARTE

Residing in Los Angeles, Gabriel Duarte is a senior at Cal State Northridge and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Gabriel is passionate about college athletics and is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and Oregon Ducks on SI. Gabriel has covered many college sporting events around the Southern California area including basketball and football for USC. Gabriel also writes for his local newspaper on high school sports.