“Will never take this for granted”: HC Lindsay Gottlieb expresses pride as ex-USC star Kiki Iriafen features in Washington Mystics’ 2025 squad

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has had the opportunity to coach many players who went on to have WNBA careers over the years. The latest star from her USC team to make the jump to the WNBA is Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen was drafted with the fourth pick in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Washington Mystics. On Thursday, the Mystics' Instagram account made a post showcasing the team's 2025 roster.

Shortly after the post was made, Gottlieb shared it on her Instagram story. She included a caption about how fulfilling it is to coach people and help them live out their dreams.

"Will never take this for granted... watching people live out their dreams. She's a Pro!"

Image via Lindsay Gottlieb's Instagram story.

Iriafen was the second-leading scorer on the Trojans this past season, only behind JuJu Watkins, who is one of the best players in college basketball. She averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

Iriafen was one of the driving factors for the Trojans to become one of the top teams in college basketball last season. They were a top seed in March Madness, but the season did not end as they hoped. The Trojans were eliminated in the Elite Eight by the future champion UConn Huskies.

Lindsay Gottlieb has brought in reinforcements to help replace Kiki Iriafen

Kiki Iriafen is not a player that is easy to replace. She was a top player in college basketball this past season, and as a result, it is unlikely that one player can replace her production. Fortunately for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and the USC Trojans, they still have their biggest star, JuJu Watkins.

Additionally, Gottlieb did a good job of bringing in some top transfers this offseason. According to ESPN, USC secured commitments from two of the Top 20 transfers this offseason, Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones.

Georgia Tech transfer Kara Dunn is the No. 17-ranked transfer from this year's class, according to ESPN. She spent the past three seasons at Georgia Tech, where she progressively improved. This past season, she averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Additionally, the Trojans added the No. 20-ranked player in this year's transfer class, UCLA transfer Londynn Jones. Jones played three seasons with the Bruins before joining Lindsay Gottlieb's squad. She took a step back last season, averaging 8.5 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.