Stanford star Kiki Iriafen, the Pac-12's Most Improved Player last season, has entered the transfer portal with a "do not contact" tag, according to Talia Goodman. Iriafen's decision comes just days after legendary Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer announced her retirement.
Iriafen's "do not contact" status means she knows where she's heading next. It's unclear where that will be, but it's worth noting she is a Los Angeles native. Both USC and UCLA boast strong programs that made the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively, in this year's NCAA Tournament. In high school, Iriafen chose Stanford over Baylor, Notre Dame, UCLA and UConn.
While Iriafen was present at VanDerveer's retirement press conference and even asked her former coach a question, she was non-committal about her future. When asked directly if she would return to Stanford, she shrugged her shoulders and did not give a verbal response, per Alex Simon.
VanDerveer's departure seems to have been the deciding factor for Iriafen, but there are a lot of other moving parts in Palo Alto. For one, the Cardinal were set to lose a number of key players, including Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Brink, who declared for the WNBA Draft and will turn pro in a few days, and 3-point specialist Hannah Jump. Furthermore, conference realignment is sending Stanford to the ACC next season, meaning they'll have to travel all the way across the country for the majority of their road games.
All told, it's not surprising that Iriafen would look elsewhere to finish out her college career. Iriafen will be a senior next season and has one remaining year of eligibility.
After playing somewhat sparingly in her first two seasons, Iriafen blossomed into one of the best forwards in the country. She averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 54.6% from the field. Her athleticism and versatile offensive game make her an extremely difficult cover, and she is relentless on the glass. Whichever school lands Iriafen will be a major winner this offseason.
Stanford, on the other hand, is looking at a complete rebuild under new head coach Kate Paye. While they will forever be a storied program, that does not guarantee future success, especially in this rapidly changing world of college athletics.
