Kiki Iriafen has been captivating the Cardinals fans and basketball followers for quite some time now. She has not only entertained the spectators with her immaculate rebounding and dominance but also left Stanford’s star Cameron Brink in awe on multiple occasions. The interest has only been piqued after her stunning 41-point performance to lead Stanford to the Sweet Sixteen.
The mere fact that she comes from one of the best high schools and is currently in an elite university in the nation is enough to bring all the eyes to this superstar. But are these educational and athletic traits a gift from the predecessors?
Surprisingly enough, the answer is no. But only to the latter half of the question. According to the 6 ft 3 in forward, her Nigerian-born parents always focused more on academics. Her mother, Yemi Iriafen, comes from the home health consultancy base. Kiki’s father, Harrison Iriafen, is a businessman. He is also from a science, specifically agricultural background. Further, neither of the two has been active in curricular activities and sports. Hence, it is quite apparent why they always pushed for education first.
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Staying on track, Kiki has fulfilled their wishes. As a bachelor’s student with a 4.3 GPA and attending three AP courses simultaneously while also juggling her basketball in between, looks like Kiki has mastered the tricks. Further, she made it to Stanford’s campus and is an immaculate student all because of her interest in basketball.
While the Iriafen kids did not get the athletic genes from their parents, apparently, Kiki has forged a new path for her siblings. Currently, her younger brother Shuby Iriafen (14) is a soccer enthusiast. Additionally, Kiki’s 11-year-old sister Oyikan also plays basketball. With more athletes turning up in the Iriafen house, does it mean that they are only serious about the sports?
Kiki Iriafen and her multifaceted career choices
The Design Engineering major at Stanford did not have basketball as her first career choice. In fact, through the several years, she has changed her choice quite a few times. She aims at going into the WNBA after graduating from Stanford. Away from sports, she has shown interest in becoming a doctor and an engineer. On top of these, she also has an inclination towards the fashion world and would like to be a supermodel someday.
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However, until she fills those shoes, she is focused on basketball and winning her team their second NCAA trophy of the decade. She has been an instrumental athlete for the Cardinals and improves the roster when their star player Cameron Brink is not up to her best. It will be interesting to watch how the future of this motivated junior forward unravels with time.
Read More- Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen Share Their Pac-12 Award Winning Moments After Quarter Final Win