The No. 30 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, Japreece Dean is currently playing for the Adelaide Lightning of the WNBL. The former All-Pac-12 First Team selection at UCLA (2017-20) is a true floor general, who, despite her small stature, commands the respect of her teammates and rivals.

She talked to Swish Appeal about her crazy handles, the coaching change in Adelaide, her time at UCLA and starting off her pro career in Russia. Some highlights from our conversation include:

On being overlooked because of her size:

My agent tells me sometimes that teams decided to go a different way because of my size. I can rebound the ball as a guard. At my position, point guards can rebound a little bit more, because my man isn’t crashing [the boards], they’re getting back on defense, so I can get a few rebounds … I can rebound the ball well, but it is other factors, mostly defense is why they prefer to have bigger guards.

On the drills she did to develop her dribbling:

Shoutout to my coach back home, Shawn Hardeman, who has his own company, Ball Hard. A great place to train. That’s where I became elite at handling the ball. The consistency of doing it over and over again, you get better at it and it eventually becomes second nature … We did a lot of heavy ball, it wasn’t a normal ball, but a heavier one, and we’d just dribble that on grass or turf, so it was hard to get the ball back up.

A special thank you to Lorenzo Gallotti of Two Points agency for arranging the interview.

Swish Appeal is thrilled to share this story from Jack Bonin, who regularly writes about the Dallas Wings for Mavs Moneyball.

Fresh off a breakout junior season at Stanford, Kiki Iriafen decided it was time for a change.

Though her three seasons with the the Cardinal helped the 6-foot-3 forward establish herself as an elite WNBA prospect, her reasons for transferring to USC for her final collegiate season were plentiful: Iriafen, an LA native, could come home and be close to her family; legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer retired; and USC boasts sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins, perhaps the most talented player in college basketball. It made a ton of sense for Iriafen to head south and join the Trojans for her final year.

But the biggest basketball reason Iriafen gave for transferring involved what playing at USC would mean for her future. On former teammate Haley Jones’s podcast, Sometimes I Hoop, Iriafen emphasized the move was partly about preparing for “a seamless transition to the W[NBA]”. With VanDerveer retired and star teammate Cameron Brink graduating to the W, Iriafen correctly reasoned that playing with Watkins and a supremely talented Trojan team would be the perfect opportunity to build on last year’s success.

Of course, Iriafen’s junior year presents a tough act to follow. After averaging just 6.7 points per game as a sophomore, Iriafen exploded for 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game last season. She showcased incredible post scoring, excellent midrange touch, impressive athleticism and valuable defensive versatility. Though Iriafen always had immense talent and was a five-star recruit, this production level came out of nowhere. Iriafen started getting mentioned as a potential No. 1 overall pick candidate, possibly challenging UConn phenom Paige Bueckers for the top spot in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Forming a super duo with JuJu Watkins could only help her prospects in that regard.

So, with the 2024-2025 NCAAW season roughly one-third complete, how has Iriafen fared? Is she living up to all that hype?

Red flags in Iriafen’s development—or lack thereof

Well, the short answer is probably “not quite.” Iriafen has remained a prolific scorer (though slightly less so than last year) at 18.5 points per game. Her rebounding has fallen from 11.0 to 9.3, but that’s to be expected with fellow big Rayah Marshall occupying the center spot and grabbing nine boards of her own. Iriafen’s efficiency from the floor has dropped just a touch, going from a 54.6 field goal percentage to 52.5. On the surface, it looks like Iriafen is more or less having the same season she had last year when she broke onto the scene and shot up WNBA draft boards. That’s good, right?

Yes and no. Iriafen is having a very productive season and is still doing many of the things that make her such a tantalizing prospect. Coming into this year, I had two big questions for her:

1. Can Iriafen leverage her athleticism into a rim-protecting role?
2. Will she extend her range beyond the 3-point line to allow her team to play 4 or five-out basketball?

So far, the answer has been a resounding “no” to both. That worries me a bit.

For a player as athletically gifted and defensively talented as Iriafen is, you’d like to see more blocked shots. Raw block numbers don’t tell the whole story, but 28 total blocks in the last 48 games is a shockingly low number for a 6-foot-3 big with Iriafen’s athleticism. And I understand part of this is because of who Iriafen has played alongside. Cameron Brink was one of the best shot blockers in college basketball history, and Raya Marshall is in a similar class. Iriafen has never had to be the primary rim protector and has played the vast majority of her collegiate minutes at the power forward, or 4, spot. But even factoring this in, Iriafen hasn’t shown much in the way of secondary rim protection either. And it’s possible she hasn’t played the 5 because of an inability to handle the defensive responsibilities of the center position.

If Iriafen is going to strictly play the 4 at the WNBA level, it would behoove her to add a 3-point shot to her game. The W is quickly moving toward a pace-and-space style of play, and good teams need 3-point shooting all over the court. Iriafen took just six total 3s last year, hitting two; this year, she’s attempted five and made two. The optimist would say she’s already matched her total from a season ago. The realist would counter that she’s averaging a measly 0.4 3-point attempts per game. I buy Iriafen’s potential as a shooter; she’s great in the midrange, hits her free throws and has smooth mechanics. But at a certain point, we need to see game reps. Another year of Iriafen as a theoretical shooter makes me a bit uneasy.

Speaking of Iriafen’s mid-range game, it’s declined a bit this year, too. According to CBB Analytics, Iriafen shot 47.4 percent on midrange 2s last year, one of the best marks in basketball. This year, that number is down to 37.7 percent. While that’s still above average, it’s a sharp drop from a season ago. Iriafen is taking the same number of middies (3.8 per game) and hitting far less. Overall, she’s shooting less often and less efficiently than last year. The one positive sign is that Iriafen is getting to the line more frequently; her free-throw attempt rate is up 14.2 percent. And she’s knocking down a career-high 80.6 percent of them, bolstering her true shooting percentage. All of this is to say that while Iriafen is a very good midrange shooter, it’s unclear just how strong her shooting projection is going forward.

If Iriafen doesn’t add these dimensions to her game, I worry she could get stuck as a tweener: a big who can’t play the 5 for extended stretches and can’t shoot enough to be an elite, modern power forward. Iriafen will still be a very good WNBA player, but the upside is capped if this is how it plays out.

Where could Iriafen go in the 2025 draft?

So, what does this mean for her 2025 draft prospects?

Well, barring an unprecedented power play, Bueckers will be picked No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. After that, things get very interesting. Iriafen has long been slotted into the No. 2 spot, but Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles has thrown a wrench into that. Miles is having an incredible season coming back from a torn ACL and, though she has another year of college eligibility, could declare for the 2025 draft. If she does, it would be hard to envision the Los Angeles Sparks turning her down. LA already has a crowded frontcourt, with young phenoms Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson flanking veteran Dearica Hamby. Adding a dynamic point guard like Miles to the equation just makes too much sense.

The Chicago Sky pick No. 3 overall, but Angel Reese and Kamila Cardoso already occupy the 4/5 spots as franchise building blocks. It would be a disservice to both Iriafen and the Sky to make someone play out of position there. I imagine if Miles is off the board when Chicago picks, they will look to trade the third selection to a team enamored with Iriafen. Who could that be? Well, I doubt Washington would give up assets to move up one spot; they already have Shakira Austin, Aaliyah Edwards, Stefanie Dolson, Emily Engstler and Sika Koné in the frontcourt. After that, pretty much every other WNBA team could use a player of Iriafen’s caliber. I wouldn’t be surprised if a team currently outside the lottery ends up with her. That would be a strange outcome for a player who some projected as a possible No. 1 pick, but things change quickly in the landscape of this league.

Iriafen is not done growing her game. Transferring schools can be a tough adjustment for players, and Iriafen has handled it incredibly well. She’s still producing at a high level and is firmly on the lottery pick map. As the season continues, I’ll be keeping a close eye on where Iriafen goes from here. If she starts taking 3s and blocking shots, all bets are off. Iriafen is a captivating player, and it will be fascinating to see what her future holds.

Rachel Theriot didn’t get to win an NCAA championship with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (2012-16), despite some impressive individual seasons. She averaged more than seven assists per game twice. But nowadays, she prefers a big shot to a big pass.

As a pro, however, she has won four championships, three in Belarus and one in Lithuania. Currently in Bulgaria, she reminisced with Swish Appeal about her years in Lincoln and Minsk. Here are some highlights from the conversation:

On winning the 2014 Big Ten Tournament MVP award:

It was just feeling the game out. I can’t be anything without my teammates or the coaches. So as much as someone wants to take credit for it, I’m not going to. That’s never been me, and I think a lot of it just plays into the coaches and the teammates around you, trusting you and believing in you. Just letting the game, you know, feel its way in.

On spending six years in total as a pro in Minsk, the capital of Belarus:

It was a good fit for me in general. My first two years, my first year, I did really well and I re-signed there and their goal, at this point, was to go to EuroCup and you want to play in the EuroCup when you go overseas. So for me it was, “Okay, I’ll stay, I’ll help continue building it,” and then I ended up having surgery after that season, or I got it halfway through, had surgery, so I had to go home halfway through my second season. Then I went back because they were in EuroCup after that. So the third season, I went back because they played EuroCup again. They were honestly nothing but good to me. I have great things to say about them, obviously. I think every year, you know, you go somewhere and are like, “I don’t want to come back. I’m not coming back here,” and every year I came back, and it was like a running joke. It’s still a running joke, even after the last year, they were like, “Are you coming?” And they’re laughing. I’m like, “I don’t know. I’m not going to say ‘no’ because I’ve been back now for five times.” I think it was just a place of comfort, especially once I left…I love the city of Minsk, honestly.

Thank you to Gherdan Sports for arranging the interview.

The Big Ten is absolutely stacked with seven teams ranked in the top 25.

However, the top dawg is clear, and it’s the No. 1 UCLA Bruins. UCLA is currently 12-0 and has impressive wins against teams such as Louisville and South Carolina, who were on a historic 43-game winning streak before they ran into the Bruins.

The Bruins are absolutely stacked with talent, but Lauren Betts is the engine that drives it all. The junior center is leading the team in both points and rebounds, averaging a double double a night with 19.8 points and 10 rebounds per matchup.

While Betts has been stellar down low, the guards have taken care of the perimeter. Junior Kiki Rice is scoring 12.6 points per game and freshman Elina Aarnisalo is taking care of ball distribution with 5.3 assists. With such balance and composure, there aren’t many teams that can compete with the Bruins in the Big Ten.

But here’s a look at the squads that have as good a chance as any of challenging UCLA:

Big Ten contenders

UCLA reigns supreme in the country, but in Los Angeles, they are barely edging out their cross-town rivals, No. 4 USC (11-1)

The Trojans had a disappointing loss versus Notre Dame, but got an equally impressive win against UConn, beating the powerhouse Huskies on the road. Sophomore JuJu Watkins stepped up big in that game, scoring 25 points and reminding everyone why the Trojans have been title favorites since the beginning of the season.

UCLA and USC will play each other on Feb. 13. Although there are plenty of games between now and then, if they are both undefeated in the conference when they play each other, it could go a long way in deciding who wins the Big Ten.

No. 8 Maryland (11-0) might not get the attention the LA teams do, but they are just as potent. They are undefeated and beat their first Big Ten opponent, Purdue, 78-69. With five players scoring in double figures, they have a balanced attack and will be a tough team to beat in 2025.

Right behind Maryland is No. 10 Ohio State (12-0), who, led by junior Cotie McMahon, are on their way to what looks to be another 20-plus-win season. They currently have 12 victories in hand, and more should be on the way in the Big Ten. They won their first conference contest, taking down Illinois 83-74, and McMahon was as dominant as ever, scoring 25 points and going 7-for-12 from the field.

McMahon is averaging 18.3 points and is always the minutes leader, playing 29.9 per game. Despite the good start, it’ll be an uphill battle versus the best in the Big Ten, but they have a chance of being a surprise team. Well, as much of a surprise as a top-10 team can be.

Big Ten sleepers

Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

Three other Big Ten teams currently are ranked: No. 17 Michigan State (11-1), No. 23 Michigan (10-2) and No. 24 Iowa (10-2). The Spartans actually took on the Hawkeyes and beat them 68-66. The Wolverines have had two losses already, but they were against top opponents, South Carolina and Oklahoma, which are understandable defeats.

From the unranked teams, keep an eye out for Nebraska (10-2), Indiana (9-3) and Wisconsin (10-2), who all won their first Big Ten games. Also, Illinois (10-2) should be good despite losing their first game, and the same can be said for Iowa.

Once we have more games to analyze, the hierarchy within the Big Ten will be further solidified. For now, everyone is chasing UCLA.

Game information

Wisconsin (10-2, 1-0) vs. Indiana (9-3, 1-0)

When: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN

How to watch: Big Ten Network

Washington (9-4, 0-1) vs. Northwestern (7-5, 0-1)

When: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL

How to watch: B1G+

Oregon (9-3, 0-1) vs. Illinois (10-2, 0-1)

When: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: State Farm Center in Champaign, IL

How to watch: B1G+

Penn State (9-3, 0-1) vs. Minnesota (12-1, 0-1)

When: Saturday, Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN

How to watch: Big Ten Network

No. 19 Michigan State (11-1, 1-0) vs. No. 8 Maryland (11-0, 1-0)

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: XFINITY Center in College Park, MD

How to watch: B1G+

No. 10 Ohio State (12-0, 1-0) vs. Rutgers (8-4, 0-1)

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, NJ

How to watch: B1G+

Purdue (7-5, 0-1) vs. No. 24 Iowa (10-2, 0-1)

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA

How to watch: B1G+

Nebraska (10-2, 1-0). vs. No. 1 UCLA (12-0, 1-0)

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. ET

Where: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA

How to watch: B1G+

No. 23 Michigan (10-2, 1-0) vs. No. 4 USC (11-1, 1-0)

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA

How to watch: Big Ten Network