“You wouldn’t even know she’s a big time person”: Kiki Iriafen provides insights into USC teammate JuJu Watkins’ 'humble' personality

Kiki Iriafen is a rising star of women’s college basketball at USC after transferring from Stanford. The Nigerian-American forward, standing at 6-foot-3, is a three-time Pac-12 champion.

Born and raised in Los Angeles as the oldest child of Yemi and Harrison Iriafen, Kiki grew up and carried her basketball career. Now preparing for her senior season at USC, Iriafen is led by standout freshman JuJu Watkins and her new team.

Recently, Iriafen sat down for an interview with No Cap Space WBB, where she shared her admiration for Watkins. When asked if playing with star athletes like Taliyah, Rhea, and JuJu makes her feel like she’s surrounded by “star power.”

Iriafen replied, “I think she’s great, like, I think she’s a great basketball player, but she’s honestly an even better person."

(ET: 6:40)

With that, she also added, "She’s super humble and very down to earth, like, if you weren’t in the basketball space, you wouldn’t even know that she’s like this big-time person, because she carries herself just so, like, normal and like very humble; she doesn’t throw anything into your face.”

Iriafen shared how Watkins’ selfless attitude extends beyond just court dynamics.

“I think she always brings her team into things,” she added, emphasizing Watkins’ dedication to her teammates. “So, any deal that she gets, she’s always like, how can I include my team in certain things, so I think she’s just an amazing person.”

Kiki Iriafen's on-court achievements and bond with Juju Watkins

Iriafen’s journey to USC began during her high school career at Harvard-Westlake in Studio City, California, where she played 121 varsity games over four years. She led her team with exceptional performances, concluding her high school career with 2,454 points and 1,655 rebounds.

The athlete received the prestigious 2020 Division I John Wooden Award, was named Mission League MVP twice, and earned McDonald’s All-American honors in 2021. ESPN HoopGurlz ranked her as a 5-star recruit, listing her among the top 20 high school players in the country.

As one of the most sought-after high school recruits, Iriafen attracted the attention of several high-profile programs. Even UConn’s renowned coach, Geno Auriemma, took an interest. But on August 7, 2020, she committed to Stanford, turning down other offers from elite schools like Baylor, UCLA, UConn and Notre Dame.

Last season, she averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game, and her standout performances earned her a mention on the AP All-America team. She set her career high with a phenomenal 41-point game against Iowa State and pulled down 20 rebounds in a fierce matchup against Arizona State.

Now back in Los Angeles, she is teamed up with JuJu Watkins, the former first-team All-American who averaged 27.1 points per game in Division I last year. Watkins earned 920 points in her freshman season alone, which is the highest single-season tally ever for a freshman.

The admiration for Watkins hasn’t come without some humor, either. Earlier during the interview, Iriafen recounted a recent incident.

“I went to Cabo yesterday, and this guy was like, oh my goodness, like, you’re JuJu Watkins!” she shared, laughing. “I was like, sorry, no, I mean, I’ll take it though, I’ll take the compliment, but I was like, sorry.”

As the season opener approaches, Kiki and Juju's bond made the Trojan rank third in the country. Now, the team is preparing to begin their upcoming season against Ole Miss on Monday, which will be happening in Paris.

​