“Don’t pass her the ball”: USC’s Kiki Iriafen reveals freshman year horror moment by Stanford HC Tara VanDerveer, in front of Cameron Brink and Co.
Kiki Iriafen is one of many players who thrived under former Stanford Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer. While she evolved into one of the country's best forwards under the guidance of the winningest coach in college basketball history, she endured some hard times along the way.
On The Players' Tribune's "Sometimes I Hoop" podcast, alongside former teammate Haley Jones, Iriafen shared a difficult story from her freshman year in 2021-22. Ahead of a game against the Tennessee Volunteers, she struggled with shooting, which prompted VanDerveer to give a message to her team that rocked her confidence further.
"I love Tara," Iriafen said. "I was rushing my shots. I was. But she's like, 'I just want you to set a screen and roll, don't worry about scoring at all.' And I was like, 'Damn, I can't even score.' I was sad about it, but I was like, 'Whatever.'
"Then, she called the whole team and she was like, 'Everybody, when Kiki gets on the block, give her a look, but don't pass her the ball!' I was like, 'Damn, I don't know how to play basketball anymore!'
"I feel like that was something kind of horrific. But then the next game, Tennessee, I played well. That built some character, for sure, my freshman year."
Iriafen enjoyed a decent outing against the Volunteers in her freshman season, recording 10 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes as third-ranked Stanford beat No. 7 Tennessee 74-63 in December 2021. Stanford, led by Cameron Brink, went 32-4 and reached the Final Four before losing to UConn and Paige Bueckers.
Kiki Iriafen transfers to the USC Trojans
Kiki Iriafen enjoyed a breakout season in her junior year with the Cardinal. In 36 starts, she averaged 19.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and played a key role in the Cardinal's run to the Sweet 16 in March Madness last season.
Her efforts won her the Katrina McClain Award, recognizing her as the country's best power forward. She also won the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award and earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 team.
Soon after VanDerveer announced her retirement in April, Iriafen hit the transfer portal and was ranked second overall in the portal, according to 247Sports. After receiving several offers, she elected to head to USC, where she will play alongside the reigning National Freshman of the Year, JuJu Watkins.
Iriafen will begin her maiden season with the Trojans with a game against the Ole Miss Rebels in Paris on Nov. 4.