Oh, you feel that? The clock’s ticking down because June 14 is almost here. And in WNBA circles, that means one thing: Double Vote Day. Every ballot cast will carry twice the weight. This is the moment that will count for players who are eyeing a spot in Indy’s All-Star roster. Just ahead of this day, fans and media are busy rallying behind their favorites, and so are the teammates like the 4th overall, Mystics pick Kiki Iriafen.
The internal dynamics and relationships are fully in play here. On that basis, it’s not hard to guess that she is vouching for veteran Brittney Sykes. After all, Slim leads the entire Mystics team like a floor general. Just rewind to their game against Connecticut at Mohegan Sun Arena. Kiki leaned on Sykes throughout that May 18th matchup. As Sykes used timeouts and other stoppages to build rookie forward Kiki Iriafen’s confidence.
Kiki herself admitted, “She was talking to us throughout the whole game, me especially… telling me I’m capable of playing against the best of the best…” Her ability to boost the mentees from sidelines is what led them to a 5 point lead, and an eventual win. “It’s something that she does every game for me, but definitely a lot more today.” She knows when to challenge, when to comfort, and exactly how to elevate those around her.
Sykes isn’t just a mentor, she’s a game-changer on the court, too. She’s averaging 20.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.0 steals this season, locking down opponents.
That’s what makes her a true veteran and a deserving candidate for an All-Star spot at Indy. This sentiment echoed perfectly in Kiki Iriafen’s Instagram story. She reposted from WashMystics. The post was a video compilation of Brittney’s clutch moments, passion and on-court huddles led by her. The Mystics’ official account didn’t hold back from hyping her up in the caption.
It said “The numbers don’t lie:” with all of Syke’s best stats listed down. They ended the caption with a straightforward “Vote Brittney Sykes to All-Star in Indy!! ” That was one helluva boost, but Kiki Iriafen’s dub on her IG story, took it to another level. She wrote “(stary eyes emojis) all-star her!!” Even with Syke strongly being backed, Kiki Iriafen also has chances of her own. She’s a fan favorite too after all…
Kiki Iriafen to be Rookie of the Year 2025?
Kiki Iriafen has come out to become the clear favorite for 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year according to ESPN’s expert Kevin Pelton. Through her first ten professional games, the rookie standout is leading all the first-year players with 14.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She is also coming close to averaging a double-double while shooting an efficient 51% from the field.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 09: USC Trojans forward Kiki Iriafen 44 warms up before the womenÕs college basketball game between the Cal Poly Mustangs and the USC Trojans on November 9, 2024 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NOV 09 Women s – Cal Poly at USC EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241109068
Something that is particularly noteworthy though, is that this field goal percentage actually represents an improvement from her final college season at USC where she shot 50%. These numbers become even more impressive when you consider they’re not coming in meaningless minutes. Rather, the Washington Mystics hold a competitive 4-6 record and are sitting just half a game back from the Valkyries for that final playoff berth.
Moreover, she is achieving all this while sharing the court with already established players like Shakira Austin, Aaliyah Edwards, and defensive stalwart Brittney Sykes. It’s her reliable image as Washington’s frontcourt anchor that mainly separates her from the rest of the rookie class. However, when we look at Iriafen’s primary competition for Rookie of the Year, it turns out her biggest challenger shares the same locker room.
It’s her teammate Sonia Citron who was selected third overall in the draft. Citron has been nearly as impressive offensively. She is averaging 14.0 points per game with some outstanding shooting stats. 48.9% from the field, 40.5% from three-point range, and 89.3% from the free throw line. This dynamic rookie pair is nicknamed as “Kitron” by the fans. It currently tops all first-year players in combined scoring output (Citron has contributed 137 total points while Iriafen has poured in 146).
This raises questions about the number one overall pick Paige Bueckers. She has already been sidelined for four of Dallas’ games this season. Three were due to concussion protocol and one was because of an illness. This just means that she has missed 40% of her team’s schedule so far. Whenever she has played though, Bueckers has shown why she was the top selection.
By averaging 14.7 points and dishing out 6.7 assists per game, she puts up numbers that only elite rookies like Caitlin Clark and Skylar Diggins have matched in WNBA history. However, her case is hurt by Dallas’ 1-9 losing record. Bueckers’ individual production when she has been healthy is stellar. But her team’s struggles combined with the significant time missed create a contrast to Iriafen’s situation, which is why Kitron are running ahead of Bueckers in this race to ROTY.
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