Kiki Iriafen gives a glimpse inside the USA Basketball Women’s training camp

Not everyone gets the opportunity to be named to Team USA, the most prestigious honor in men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. Selection is reserved for the very best, and even playing in the NBA or WNBA offers no guarantees – only those capable of sustaining the standard of the winningest national basketball program in the world earn an invitation.

For Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen, that invitation came after a highly productive rookie season in the WNBA. Iriafen averaged 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, earning her a WNBA All-Star selection and a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team – early markers of a promising career.

That level of play helped secure her first-ever call-up to a USA Basketball camp. It also marked her first experience with any Team USA program, at either the junior or senior level, making the opportunity one she’s embracing fully.

“I’m trying to stay in the moment, and be as present as possible,” Iriafen said during a Zoom media availability following practice. “I’m having a lot of fun, and just learning and trying to get better at my game – so it’s been great so far.”

Asked what it’s been like sharing the floor with the best players in the world, Iriafen described an environment fueled by intensity and competitiveness.

“Just a lot of energy,” she said. “It was electric as it was our first time back since the WNBA season ended. A lot of energy, a lot of talk — it was very loud inside the gym — and just competitiveness. We were all very competitive, so it was just great to get up and down with all these women, being aggressive and being competitive.”

That competitive edge extended to the style of play emphasized throughout the camp. According to Iriafen, the sessions have been both physical and fast-paced, reflecting the standard expected at the international level.

“That’s one thing we have been focusing on – being physical and playing it fast-paced,” she said. “It was our first day and our first time playing together, so we’re still working through all of that.”

Iriafen getting better overall as a basketball player through this camp

After an impressive first season in the pros, Iriafen believes the Team USA experience can help her take another step forward as a player. For her, simply being immersed in this environment is a catalyst for growth.

“I think just being in a room with the best – the best women in our league – is only gonna help me get better,” Iriafen said. “I think to become better, you have to play the best of the best.”

History supports that belief. Many USA Basketball standouts have used national team camps as a springboard, refining their games in elite settings before returning to the NBA or the WNBA even better equipped to succeed.

For Iriafen, that mindset is already taking hold.

“So for me, that’s kinda what I look at this camp as – playing against the best players,” she said. “I’ll make some mistakes, but I can always learn from that. Just having an open mindset, a growth mindset, and understanding that at the end of the day, after this camp, I’ll be better for it.”