"Baby A'ja" - WNBA fans elated by Kiki Iriafen joining elite company with A'ja Wilson after major rookie milestone

WNBA fans lauded Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen after she reached a major milestone, joining the elite company of A’ja Wilson. Following her 20-point performance against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, Iriafen is one of two rookies since Wilson to start her career with eight straight double-digit scoring games. Sonia Citron is the second to reach this milestone.

The No. 4 pick of this year’s draft recorded 14 points against the Atlanta Dream, 17 points against the Connecticut Sun, 10 points against the Golden State Valkyries, 17 points against A’ja Wilson and the Aces, 11 points against the Phoenix Sun, 16 points against the Fever and 12 points against the New York Liberty.

She is averaging 14.6 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 51.7% through her first eight games in the WNBA. Fans on Reddit are elated with Iriafen’s start and reacted to her major milestone by calling her “Baby A’ja.”

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“She's Baby A'ja, so this checks out,” one fan said.

“Yeah, this kid is staying. So is Citron. Washington fans gonna be giddy all year long as this team builds and builds,” said another.

“Anyone who believes Paige has a God-given right to be Rookie of the Year hasn't been paying attention to Kiki,” one fan opined.

One fan even pointed out that Kiki Iriafen seems to be playing better in the league than she did in college, saying:

“She looks better than she did in college, its crazy. Playing with ballhog Juju really made people forget how good she was at Stanford.”

“Kiki is just insanely good already. I loved watching her at USC, too,” another fan said.

Washington Mystics have hit big in 2025 draft with Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron

Kiki Iriafen isn’t the only rookie in town, as Sonia Citron has also recorded double-digit points through her first eight games. Citron is averaging 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 48.8% (39.4% from 3-point range).

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As the season unfolds, these two will continue to develop and find their footing in the league. Depending on how things go, the Washington Mystics could look like a different team by the end of 2025. It is worth noting that Washington also drafted Georgia Amoore this year, but she is yet to make her debut.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by R. Elahi