STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford junior Kiki Iriafen has made the list of the Top 10 candidates for the 2024 Katrina McClain Award. Named after the two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year, the annual award, now in its seventh year, recognizes the top power forwards in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.
A national committee comprising of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, which did not include Iriafen. But the Cardinal post played her way onto the list of candidates following an incredible first 19 games of the season.
Iriafen won the first Pac-12 Player of the Week award of her career and was also named ESPN National Player of the Week for the first time after averaging 28.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in Stanford's wins last weekend over Oregon and Oregon State. She scored a career-high 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the victory over OSU to become the first Cardinal since Chiney Ogwumike in 2014 with at least 35 points and 10 boards in a game.
Iriafen has taken a massive leap as a junior and is among the country's most improved players. After averaging 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds as a sophomore, she's putting up 18.4 points (+11.7) and 10.8 rebounds (+7.0) per game this season. Currently, she has the fourth-best year-over-year improvement in the country in scoring average (+11.7) and is first in rebounding average (+7.0). She is one of seven players in the country averaging 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this season.
At then-No. 19 Utah on Jan. 12, Kiki Iriafen had 25 points and 16 rebounds in a 66-64 win, her second such game against a ranked opponent this season (30 points, 17 rebounds vs. No. 13 Florida State). There have only been four such performances against a Top 25 opponent in the country this season and Iriafen has two. Iriafen is the first Stanford player with 25 points and 16 rebounds in a true road game against a ranked opponent since Chiney Ogwumike had 30 points and 16 boards in an 80-56 win at No. 14 Arizona State on Jan. 20, 2014.
She followed that up with 19 points and 19 rebounds at then-No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 14. It's only the country's second 19-point, 19-rebound outing in a true road game against a top-5 team since 1999-2000 (available records). Xavier's Ta'Shia Phillips had 23 points and 25 boards at then-No. 4 North Carolina on Nov. 19, 2008.
In March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. Starting Friday, Jan. 26, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2024 Katrina McClain Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four other members of the Women's Starting Five.
Iriafen and the No. 6 Cardinal are on the road this weekend when they play at Arizona State on Friday (5 p.m. PT) and Arizona on Sunday (11 a.m. PT).