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It's not often that a new regime has three top-six draft picks at its disposal, but the Washington Mystics were in a blessed position on Monday thanks to the lottery, the Ariel Atkins trade, and a deal made by the previous administration. On top of that, they had one pick in each of the second and third rounds to add depth.
The Mystics still have a long way to go in their rebuild. They missed the playoffs after going 14-26 last season and now no longer have their top scorer (Atkins, 14.9 points per game) and facilitator (Julie Vanloo, 4.3 assists per game). It'll be on second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards and the new draftees to lead the team to success long-term, with veterans like Shakira Austin and Brittney Sykes around to keep the ship steady in the meantime.
With that being said, how did Washington's front office do given the choices at hand during Monday's draft?
Round 1, Pick 3: G Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Citron was one of the NCAA's most prominent players over the last four years despite being on a stacked Fighting Irish team including Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles. The three-time All-ACC selection excels on both ends of the floor, as she ranked 16th in the conference in blocks (0.9 per game) and 12th in steals (1.9) last season and is the only Notre Dame player in program history with 1,700-plus career points, 700-plus rebounds, and 300-plus assists.
With Atkins and Karlie Samuelson gone, Citron will get the chance to show off her two-way skills in Washington's backcourt right away. The 2025 ACC All-Defensive team honoree is primarily an off-ball player, so she'll need help creating space offensively to start out. However, she's a reliable shooter, as she recorded a 46.8 career field goal percentage (37 percent 3 PT) in college, and her history of winning (four Sweet Sixteen appearances) should help her rise to the occasion.
Final grade: A
Round 1, Pick 4: F Kiki Iriafen, USC
Iriafen has the potential to form a dynamic duo with Edwards in the Mystics' frontcourt for years to come. The 6-foot-3-inch forward averaged 18 points on 49 percent shooting with 8.4 rebounds for USC last season, helping them get to the Elite Eight. She also ranked 15th in Division I with 4.1 offensive boards per game, so her ability to crash the glass jumps off the page.
However, Iriafen's offensive skills are equally as exciting, as she dominated the post in college and is still developing her face-up game. The third-team AP All-American isn't a three-point shooter, but her dominance around the rim more than makes up for that. She shot 52.5 percent from the field across her four college seasons.
Part of how this pick will be judged in the future is how Iriafen performs compared to Aneesah Morrow, who the Connecticut Sun drafted at No. 7. Both players have similar styles, although the latter led Division I twice in average rebounds with 13.8 for DePaul in 2021-22 and 13.5 last season for LSU. Still, college stats guarantee nothing at the next level, so picking Iriafen made sense.
Final grade: B+
Round 1, Pick 6: G Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Amoore is the perfect compliment to Citron as a point guard who can both score and facilitate at a high level. The Australian international is one of three Division I women's players in history alongside Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu to tally 2,300 points and 800 assists in her career. She explained to Taylor Rooks on draft night what helps her succeed on the court.
Georgia Amoore stands alongside Caitlin Clark & Sabrina Ionescu as the only D1 players in women's history with 2,300 PTS & 800 AST 🙌
The 6th overall pick in the @WNBA draft spoke with @TaylorRooks on what sets her apart 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/pcEo0ttmR0
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 15, 2025
“Just my brain. I think it's no secret that I'm on the shorter side [5-foot-6-inches], so having to use my brain and my abilities in different ways. I've had to study the game like I study for a test in college,” she explained. “It's my passion, my joy, [and] my brain. I've got the biggest heart, the biggest brain. And sometimes you can't count that, right? It's nothing you can size unless you take it out of me, literally. But that's what I pride myself on.”
It might take Amoore some time to adjust to the size and strength of WNBA opponents, but her court vision will come in handy. The 2025 first-team All-SEC honoree averaged 6.9 assists for Kentucky last season and owns Virginia Tech's career assist record (656).
Final grade: A-
Round 2, Pick 23: G Lucy Olsen, Iowa
Olsen was in the unenviable position of being Clark's successor as the leader of Iowa women's basketball last season. However, the first-team All-Big Ten honoree excelled, averaging 17.9 points on 43.6 percent shooting (36 percent 3 PT) with 3.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists. She's a three-level scoring point guard who can also distribute and grab rebounds at 5-foot-10-inches, making her an ideal depth piece and possibly the steal of the draft.
Final grade: A
Round 3, Pick 32: G Zaay Green, Alabama
Green has had a tough journey that's included two ACL tears and six collegiate seasons with four different programs. The fact that the 25-year-old got through it and became Alabama's second-leading scorer last season speaks to her resilience. She averaged 15.7 points on 46.7 percent shooting (36.1 percent 3 PT) with five rebounds and 4.5 assists, helping the Crimson Tide get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Player development coach Amber Gregg spoke on why Green can excel in the WNBA, via Andscape's Cayla Sweazie.
“Her ability to fit in any system and make the system work, I think, is one of her best attributes,” Gregg said. “She can really, really shoot the ball and score the ball, but she’s a playmaker, and because her IQ is so high, she’s very good at allowing her teammates to flourish at what they’re good at. I think for her, at the next level she’s going to thrive in that.”
Green may have a hard time standing out given Washington's newly deep stable of guards, but her experience should help her navigate the next level.
Final grade: B
Overall grade: A-
The Mystics made sensible choices given their options, and they have a case for being the WNBA's most improved team overnight other than the Dallas Wings, who drafted UConn superstar Paige Bueckers No. 1 overall. Washington's young roster could experience growing pains this season, but stockpiling highly successful collegiate/overseas players is the optimal way to build for the future.
