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Skechers Drafts Kiki Iriafen

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Skechers (NYSE:SKX) has signed USC forward Kiki Iriafen as its first college basketball player ahead of the 2025 WNBA draft. Iriafen, who is pursuing a master's degree at USC Marshall School of Business, will wear the SKX NEXUS™ basketball shoes and appear in global marketing campaigns.

Currently averaging 18.6 PPG and 8.5 RPG for USC, Iriafen brings an impressive track record, including the Katrina McClain Award for best power forward in NCAA women's basketball and All-Pac-12 Team recognition in 2024. She joins Skechers' roster alongside WNBA star Rickea Jackson and several NBA players.

The SKX NEXUS™, designed for speed and stability, features Skechers Move Foam™, breathable mesh upper, and Goodyear® rubber with a torsion-plate for enhanced traction.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX) ha firmato un contratto con l'attaccante dell'USC Kiki Iriafen come primo giocatore di basket universitario in vista del draft WNBA 2025. Iriafen, che sta conseguendo un master presso la USC Marshall School of Business, indosserà le scarpe da basket SKX NEXUS™ e parteciperà a campagne di marketing globali.

Attualmente, sta registrando una media di 18.6 punti e 8.5 rimbalzi a partita per l'USC, e porta con sé un impressionante curriculum, che include il premio Katrina McClain per il miglior ala grande nel basket femminile NCAA e il riconoscimento nella All-Pac-12 Team nel 2024. Si unisce al roster di Skechers insieme alla stella della WNBA Rickea Jackson e a diversi giocatori NBA.

Le SKX NEXUS™, progettate per velocità e stabilità, presentano Skechers Move Foam™, una tomaia in mesh traspirante e gomma Goodyear® con una piastra di torsione per una trazione migliorata.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX) ha firmado con la delantera de USC Kiki Iriafen como su primera jugadora de baloncesto universitario antes del draft de la WNBA 2025. Iriafen, que está cursando una maestría en la USC Marshall School of Business, usará las zapatillas de baloncesto SKX NEXUS™ y aparecerá en campañas de marketing globales.

Actualmente promediando 18.6 puntos y 8.5 rebotes por partido en USC, Iriafen tiene un currículum impresionante, que incluye el premio Katrina McClain a la mejor ala-pívot en el baloncesto femenino de la NCAA y el reconocimiento en el equipo All-Pac-12 en 2024. Se une al equipo de Skechers junto a la estrella de la WNBA Rickea Jackson y varios jugadores de la NBA.

Las SKX NEXUS™, diseñadas para velocidad y estabilidad, cuentan con Skechers Move Foam™, parte superior de malla transpirable y goma Goodyear® con una placa de torsión para una mejor tracción.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX)는 2025년 WNBA 드래프트를 앞두고 USC의 포워드 Kiki Iriafen과 첫 대학 농구 선수 계약을 체결했습니다. Iriafen은 USC Marshall School of Business에서 석사 과정을 밟고 있으며, SKX NEXUS™ 농구화를 착용하고 글로벌 마케팅 캠페인에 출연할 예정입니다.

현재 USC에서 평균 18.6점과 8.5리바운드를 기록하고 있는 Iriafen은 NCAA 여성 농구에서 최고의 파워 포워드에게 수여되는 Katrina McClain Award와 2024년 All-Pac-12 Team에 선정된 이력을 가지고 있습니다. 그녀는 WNBA 스타 Rickea Jackson과 여러 NBA 선수들과 함께 Skechers의 명단에 합류합니다.

속도와 안정성을 위해 설계된 SKX NEXUS™는 Skechers Move Foam™, 통기성 있는 메쉬 갑피 및 Goodyear® 고무로 제작된 접지력을 향상시키는 비틀림판을 특징으로 합니다.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX) a signé avec l'ailière de l'USC Kiki Iriafen en tant que première joueuse de basket universitaire avant le draft de la WNBA 2025. Iriafen, qui poursuit un master à la USC Marshall School of Business, portera les chaussures de basket SKX NEXUS™ et apparaîtra dans des campagnes de marketing mondiales.

Actuellement, elle affiche une moyenne de 18,6 points et 8,5 rebonds par match pour l'USC, et possède un parcours impressionnant, y compris le prix Katrina McClain pour la meilleure ailier forte dans le basket féminin NCAA et la reconnaissance dans l'équipe All-Pac-12 en 2024. Elle rejoint le roster de Skechers aux côtés de la star de la WNBA Rickea Jackson et de plusieurs joueurs de la NBA.

Les SKX NEXUS™, conçues pour la vitesse et la stabilité, présentent le Skechers Move Foam™, une tige en mesh respirant et du caoutchouc Goodyear® avec une plaque de torsion pour une meilleure traction.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX) hat den USC-Forward Kiki Iriafen als ersten College-Basketballspieler vor dem WNBA-Draft 2025 unter Vertrag genommen. Iriafen, die einen Master-Abschluss an der USC Marshall School of Business anstrebt, wird die SKX NEXUS™ Basketballschuhe tragen und in globalen Marketingkampagnen auftreten.

Aktuell erzielt sie im Durchschnitt 18,6 Punkte und 8,5 Rebounds pro Spiel für USC und bringt eine beeindruckende Erfolgsbilanz mit, einschließlich des Katrina McClain Awards für die beste Power Forward im NCAA-Frauenbasketball und der Auszeichnung im All-Pac-12 Team im Jahr 2024. Sie reiht sich in die Liste von Skechers neben der WNBA-Star Rickea Jackson und mehreren NBA-Spielern ein.

Die SKX NEXUS™, die für Geschwindigkeit und Stabilität entwickelt wurden, verfügen über Skechers Move Foam™, ein atmungsaktives Mesh-Obermaterial und Goodyear®-Gummi mit einer Torsionsplatte für verbesserte Traktion.

Positive
  • First college basketball player signing expands SKX's sports marketing reach
  • Strategic entry into women's collegiate basketball market
  • Addition to strong athlete roster including NBA and WNBA stars enhances brand visibility
Negative
  • None.

USC Forward is First College Star to Join Team Skechers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Skechers expands its basketball roster by signing University of Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen ahead of the 2025 WNBA draft. Expected to be a top draft pick in this year’s draft as she pursues a master’s degree at the USC Marshall School of Business, the elite athlete will play in Skechers Basketball footwear after entering the pros and appear in the performance brand’s global marketing campaigns.

USC forward Kiki Iriafen is ready to hit the court in Skechers basketball shoes.

USC forward Kiki Iriafen is ready to hit the court in Skechers basketball shoes.

“This partnership is about more than just basketball. Skechers understands who I am on and off the court and what I need to be at my best,” said Kiki Iriafen, who will play in the SKX NEXUS™. “I love that the brand is based in my hometown of L.A., and has the global reach to help me inspire and impact more female athletes worldwide to pursue their dreams. Skechers does comfort better than any other brand I’ve experienced, which gives me confidence to have them as my teammate as I enter into this next chapter of my life.”

“After two years on the court in the NBA and WNBA, it’s a big moment for Skechers Basketball to sign Kiki, our first college player, and embark on the journey with her as she begins her professional career,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Kiki is a rising star with a bright future in the league. We look forward to supporting her from the draft through her first season and beyond. As the second woman on our basketball roster, she also furthers our mission to engage with female athletes around the world so that more players everywhere experience the signature Comfort That Performs of Skechers.”

Okikiola “Kiki” Iriafen gained national attention at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles where she set school records for points and rebounds and was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2021 and rated a five-star recruit by ESPN. Her collegiate career started at Stanford where she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team by the media in 2022 and later earned Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year and All-Pac-12 Team in 2024. That year she also received the Katrina McClain Award, presented to the best power forward in NCAA women’s basketball. After earning an engineering degree from Stanford in 2024, Iriafen transferred to USC as a graduate student for her final year of college eligibility. She was recently named to the first team All-Big Ten ahead of the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball tournament where USC entered as a #1 seed. Iriafen is averaging 18.6 PPG and 8.5 RPG for USC this season and will soon begin her pro career with the WNBA draft on April 14 in New York.

Perfect for players who desire a fast and responsive court-feel, the SKX NEXUS™ worn by Iriafen is a low-top court shoe designed for speed, stability and support. Offering exceptional comfort with resilient Skechers Move Foam™, every pair features a breathable mesh upper, lockdown ankle support in the heel, and Goodyear® rubber with a torsion-plate to amplify traction for quick cuts on the court. The style joins an innovative Skechers Basketball collection that includes the lightweight SKX Resagrip™ with advanced cushioning, the SKX Float™ for exceptional stability and control, and the SKX Reign™ that promotes elevation and intense traction.

Iriafen joins a Skechers roster that includes WNBA star Rickea Jackson, along with NBA stars Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Norman Powell, Jabari Walker, Josh Green, and Terance Mann. Additional elite athletes around the world competing in Skechers Performance footwear includes golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson; soccer players Harry Kane, Baris Alper Yilmaz and Mohammed Kudus; pickleball pros Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau; and baseball players Clayton Kershaw and Aaron Nola, among others.

Skechers Basketball footwear is available at skechersbasketball.com and select Skechers retail stores. Basketball fans can get behind-the-scenes access to Skechers Basketball product launches and more by following @skechersbasketball on Instagram and TikTok.

About Skechers U.S.A., Inc.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company® based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through skechers.com and approximately 5,300 Skechers retail stores. A Fortune 500® company, Skechers manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 68,000 people and manufactures its products in 53 facilities in 20 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers’ future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; delays or disruptions in our supply chain; international economic, political and market conditions including the effects of inflation, tariffs and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations around the world, the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States, and the impact of wars, acts of war and other conflicts around the world; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q in 2025. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Clay

Skechers U.S.A., Inc.

jennc@skechers.com

Source: Skechers U.S.A., Inc.

FAQ

What are Kiki Iriafen's current statistics at USC for the 2025 season?

Kiki Iriafen is averaging 18.6 points per game (PPG) and 8.5 rebounds per game (RPG) for USC this season.

What basketball shoe will Kiki Iriafen wear as part of her Skechers (SKX) partnership?

Iriafen will wear the SKX NEXUS™, a low-top court shoe designed for speed, stability and support.

What major awards has Kiki Iriafen won before signing with Skechers (SKX)?

She won the Katrina McClain Award for best power forward in NCAA women's basketball and was named to the All-Pac-12 Team in 2024.

When is Kiki Iriafen expected to enter the WNBA draft for Skechers (SKX)?

Iriafen will enter the WNBA draft on April 14, 2025, in New York.
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