"We still want to win.": All-Star Kiki Iriafen highlights desire to succeed, words on Sonia Citron and more (EXCLUSIVE)

Based on her body language, effort, and production, Washington Mystics rookie forward Kiki Iriafen competed as if she took part in a high-stakes game.

In reality, the Mystics’ 81-78 loss to the LA Sparks on Sunday happened a day after they were officially eliminated from clinching a postseason berth. No matter. Iriafen still helped the Mystics overcome a slow start with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

“We still want to win. It doesn’t matter that we’re not in playoff contention,” Iriafen said. “We’re not going to loosen up and not play hard. At the end of the day, we are professionals and this is our job.”

As Iriafen said those words, Mystics coach Sydney Johnson and center Stefanie Dolson nodded their heads and signaled approval. Dolson had already spoken to her teammates about the need to close out the season strong because it could carry into next season. So did Johnson in hopes that it would expose the strength or weakness of the team’s culture.

“You watch her play and it’s not like this is a player that is playing on a team that is out of the playoff hunt,” Johnson said of Iriafen. “That’s not a thing with her. I just appreciate that about her. It has a lot to do with the type of player that she wants to be.”

The Mystics (16-25) have lost seven consecutive games with three regular-season games remaining, but Johnson has become encouraged with the team’s effort. That starts with Iriafen, who considered it “super special” to play in her Los Angeles hometown after starring here in high school (Harvard Westlake) and in college (USC).

The Mystics selected Iriafen with their No. 4 pick because of her elite skills as a versatile scorer, rebounder and defender. Though the Mystics have labored through inconsistency, Iriafen has remained remarkably consistent. Iriafen eclipsed Mystics Hall-of-Famer Chamique Holdsclaw for the franchise’s record for most rebounds in a rookie season. Iriafen averages 12.9 points and ranks fourth overall in rebounds per game (8.5). Because of that production, Iriafen and rookie teammate Sonia Citron made the WNBA All-Star team.

“It's tough. Losing sucks for everybody,” Iriafen said. “Nobody wants to lose. I think the biggest thing that the ‘W’ has taught me is that you can’t take anything for granted. So even if we’re expected to win a game, you never know. We’re playing against the best players in the world. So it definitely sucks to lose. But I had to learn how to have a short-term memory. This is just the beginning of what we’re trying to build. So you have to go through these kinds of growing pains to get to the top of the mountain. I’m shifting my perspective to that, that all of this is happening for a reason. There is so much we can learn from this instead of groveling with a loss.”

The Mystics have learned plenty about Iriafen on how she still competes through adversity.

“To come to the pros and be so unbelievably coachable and so wanting to be really good, putting the work in that is required and then to face the best women in the world as a rookie, especially at her position, and to never to go into a downward spiral? She’s truly amazing,” Johnson said of Iriafen. “Her mental toughness and her desire to be really, really good, those things have shown. They absolutely have shown through the ups and downs. She’s one of our strongest players from a mental standpoint and professional as well. It’s been amazing to watch. It just gives us so much hope for year two, year three and beyond.”

Iriafen spoke with Sportskeeda about her strong rookie season, her chemistry with Citron and her reaction to breaking Holdsclaw’s record, and her All-Star nod.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

Why do you think you’ve made an impact as a rookie right away?

Iriafen: “I think it’s a combination of hard work and opportunity. I’ve worked hard to get to this position. Luckily, the Mystics needed me and I was able to fit in seamlessly. There have been some highs and lows, for sure. But it has been great. Going through it with Sonia as well as a rookie helps. So I never feel alone with what I’m going through. I just think it’s a combination of being in the right place at the right time and working really hard.”

With that hard work, what does that look like with your routine?

Iriafen: “It’s holistic. It’s not just me getting extra shots up. It’s also working on my mind and working on my body. So it’s all three of those aspects. That has been very important for me, and it’s something that I love to do. So if it’s something I love to do, I can pour in all my heart and energy into this. But I wouldn’t be able to do this without having a good support system around me. Even for moments that are tough, you have those people that are pushing you. So I think a combination of all of that has helped me get here as well.”

Who has been your support system, and what have they done?

Iriafen: “My parents are No. 1. They’re real with me. They’re honest with me. They just keep me going. Then I have great coaches around me. Even from college to now in the WNBA, I’ve been surrounded by great coaches that push me and develop me. I think it’s been about being in the right place at the right time.”

What has gone into you setting a franchise record for most rebounds in a rookie season?

Iriafen: “Rebounding is one thing that I know that I can do. When shots aren’t falling, you know you can always attack the boards. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was in high school. As much as I can, I try to make that my focus. Before, I had always relied on athleticism and being stronger, taller and faster than people. But now everybody is taller, stronger and faster. So I’m watching film. I understand when people shoot the ball a certain way, the ball will go either left or right. I understand if it’s a 3-point shot that it’s going to be a long rebound. So I’ve added more IQ to my rebounding now.”

What did it mean to you to break Chamique Holdsclaw’s record?

Iriafen: “It’s such an honor. She’s a legend. To be able to break that record my rookie year leaves me speechless. I carry that with a lot of honor. I want to make her proud. I want to make the Mystics proud.”

What was your reaction when you learned you were named an All-Star?

Iriafen: “I was like, ‘No way.’ I was in kind of in shock. I didn’t expect to be named an All-Star my rookie season. Then when I found out that Sonia was an All-Star as well, that made it even more exciting. You don’t really see a lot of rookies make All-Star. I know that we have a lot this season. But you don’t usually see that happening. So I didn’t really expect that for myself coming in. I just wanted to come in and make a name for myself and get my feet wet. So to make an All-Star my first year has been really special.”

What are your impressions of Sonia’s rookie season?

Iriafen: “She’s incredible. She’s consistent night in and night out. It doesn’t matter how they guard her or however she is playing. She’s always the same. She’s a huge key for our team. She’s a great person even outside of all of that.”

What has she meant to you as a teammate?

Iriafen: “I was nervous starting this season. There was a lot of uncertainty. So to go through the same thing with someone who was in the same position as me was helpful. She’s talking to me. She’s giving me advice. She’s cheering me up. She’s filling up my cup. So I definitely think our off-the-court relationship has helped us become very successful.”

How did you all try to manage the different trades that happened to Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards?

Iriafen: “It’s a lot. You don’t see that in college. But that’s the reality of it. It’s a business at the end of the day. So for us, I know I have a job to do. So regardless of the exterior, I have to make sure that I show up every day.”

What do you expect you can do next season?

Iriafen: “This is just the beginning. I’m not being complacent. I’m not being comfortable with where I am now. I’m trying to get better each and every year. I think that’s the standard for me. It’s about being better than I was the year before.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.