Nigerian-American basketball player Kiki Iriafen has been named the WNBA Kia Rookie of the Month for May 2025. She plays as a forward for the Washington Mystics and is the first player in the team’s history to win this award.
In her first month in the league, Kiki Iriafen showed strong and steady performance across seven games. She averaged 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, shooting 47.4% from the floor. These stats put her among the best in the league—she ranked third in points among rookies, led all rookies in rebounds, and was fourth in the entire league for rebounds per game.
From May 18 to May 25, she recorded four straight double-doubles, a rare achievement for a rookie. Only one other player, Natalie Williams in 1999, has done the same. During that stretch, Iriafen also became the fastest rookie in Mystics history to hit 50 points and 50 rebounds.
Her early impact is being compared to WNBA legends. The last rookie to average at least 12 points and 10 rebounds with over 47% shooting in their first month was Tina Charles in 2010. For the Mystics, no player has done it since Crystal Langhorne, back in 2010.
Iriafen was picked fourth overall in the WNBA draft this April. So far this season, she’s averaging 14.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 51.7% in about 28 minutes of play per game.
