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Top USC prospect Kiki Iriafen has received a wholesome message from WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper ahead of the 2025 Draft. On Saturday, the official Instagram account of the league shared a reel highlighting Iriafen's contributions to the USC Trojans' Big Ten championship.
The clip caught the attention of Cooper, who then reposted it to her Instagram story on Sunday. She captioned the post with a supportive message for the 22-year-old:
"So proud of @kikiiriafen can't wait to see you in the W!"
Cynthia Cooper is a retired basketball coach who coached the USC Trojans for five years and previously led the program to two NCAA titles in 1983 and 1984 as a student. She is also a former WNBA star who played for the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2000, winning four championships and being named Finals MVP in all four seasons.
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Cooper is now eager to see another alumnus from the school make it into the league as part of the 2025 class. Kiki Iriafen is projected as one of the top picks in the draft after a senior year at USC where she averaged 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 49.0% from the field.
Kiki Iriafen links up with Candace Parker ahead of WNBA Draft
Ahead of her big day, Kiki Iriafen had the opportunity to meet with Los Angeles Sparks legend Candace Parker. On Sunday, Parker shared an Instagram photo of herself with Iriafen and Aneesah Morrow at a WNBA Change Makers event.
The basketball veteran noted that she wanted to help the next crop of women's basketball players as they begin a new chapter as professionals. She captioned the post:
"Partnered with @carmax to empower and meet with this next generation! Can’t wait to see you all enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tomorrow and then continue to put in the work to push the game forward 🏀"
Candace Parker is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time. Therefore, getting to hang out with the 38-year-old veteran ahead of the draft is an experience Kiki Iriafen will likely cherish for a long time.
