"My welcome to the W moment": Kiki Iriafen shares true feelings on $575,000 guard's shocking trade 

Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen watched as her team traded away star Brittney Sykes to the Seattle Storm for forward Alysha Clark and their 2026 first-round pick. The deal came as a shock to most, as Sykes played in her first All-Star game this season and was a consistent scorer for the Mystics.

Iriafen, who was picked No. 4 by the Mystics in the 2025 WNBA draft, expressed what she felt after the trade, which also included the release of Sika Kone. The rookie deemed it as one of her welcoming moments in the league, having been mentored by Sykes, who has a contract worth $535,000, according to Spotrac.

“I think this is kind of my welcome to the W moment,” Iriafen said via The Washington Post's Kareem Copeland. “Just seeing the reality of it. That's probably the biggest difference from college. Slim and Sika mean so much to our team, and obviously, not having them with us anymore is really tough. So I think we're just adjusting to that.”

Iriafen added that adjustments are imminent within the team as they look to move forward without Sykes.

“It's hard adjusting on a game day, but I think with this team, we have so much grit and we're going to figure it out. We're excited to welcome our new teammate as well, but it's not lost on us how much of an impact those two have meant, not even just on the court, but in the locker room as people,” she added.

Sykes averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals for the Mystics this season, helping them reach the 10th seed with a 13-16 record.

While the trade meant they would lose a valuable veteran guard, the deal also gave the keys to rookie Iriafen and Sonia Citron, who have become WNBA All-Stars this season.

Iriafen has been a consistent paint patroller, averaging 12.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.4 apg this season.

Kiki Iriafen sets personal challenge for rest of WNBA season

Kiki Iriafen wants to sustain her impressive play this season. Talking to NBC Sports, Iriafen sets new goals for the rest of the season as she looks to develop into a formidable star in the WNBA.

“Not being one-dimensional, and finding different ways to impact the game,” she said. “Maybe it is scoring, maybe it’s being more of a defensive threat. Just not relying on what I did in the first half, and just continuing to get better."

For now, Iriafen may need to step up even more as the Mystics look to climb up in the standings and make it through the playoffs.

Edited by Veer Badani