Nigeria’s Kiki Iriafen Named WNBA Rookie of the Month for May

Less than 24 hours after dropping a new career-high 20 points, Nigeria’s Kiki Iriafen on Wednesday was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month for May.

Iriafen, who was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has enjoyed a stellar start to life as a pro and is the first Washington Mystics player to win the Rookie of the Month award.

The 21-year-old averaged 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 47.4% from the field in her debut month. She led all rookies in rebounds per game in the month under review and ranked third in scoring.

Iriafen also ranked fourth in rebound league-wide, helping Washington to a 3-4 record in May. She recorded four straight double-doubles from 18-25 May, becoming the first Mystics rookie to achieve this feat and the second rookie in WNBA history to record four double-doubles in her first five career games, joining Natalie Williams (1999).

The California-born forward scored 10+ points in all seven of her games in May, becoming one of only six players in WNBA history to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds through the first seven games of their career, joining Tina Charles (2010), Candace Parker (2008) and Cheryl Ford (2003) as well as Natalie Williams and Yolanda Griffith (both 1999).

The 6-foot-3 forward, who is the fastest Mystics rookie to tally 50 points and 50 rebounds, having achieved the feat in five games, is averaging 14.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 51.7% in 28.3 minutes per game.