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The Washington Mystics suffered their first blowout loss of the year at home on Friday night at the hands of the defending-champion New York Liberty. However, No. 3 overall pick Sonia Citron's latest milestone is another sign of a bright future for the team.
The Notre Dame alum became the first rookie in the WNBA to reach 100 points this season after notching 10 (4-13 FG, 2-5 3 PT) in the 85-63 loss to New York, and veteran guard Brittney Sykes couldn't contain her excitement postgame.
Brittney Sykes said “Rookie of the Year” under her breath when I mentioned Sonia Citron being the first rookie in the W this year to reach 100 points. Mystics Asst. Coach Emre Vatansever then talked about how the team is lucky to have rookies that commit to improving daily. pic.twitter.com/nosQAaDKzG
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) May 31, 2025
When Citron's milestone was mentioned in the presser, the 31-year-old said “Rookie of the Year” under her breath. While she always supports her teammates, that claim isn't far-fetched at the moment.
Dallas Wings star and No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers is the overwhelming favorite at -950 odds to win the award, but Citron is second at +900, via FanDuel Sportsbook. Bueckers has the advantage because she doubles as a scorer and facilitator: she's posting 14.7 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting (33.3 percent 3 PT) with 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and two steals, while Citron has 14.3 points on 47.2 percent shooting (40 percent 3 PT) with four rebounds, two assists, and 0.6 steals. The latter rookie is shooting more efficiently, but that won't be enough to beat out Bueckers if they maintain these averages.
However, Citron could get an advantage through team success. Contributing to winning basketball helps in award races, and Washington (3-4) looks more competitive than Dallas (1-6) early on this season. There's plenty of time for that to change, but it's Citron's likeliest path to an upset victory.
Mystics' coach praises rookie group
Washington assistant coach Emre Vatansever, who stood in for head coach Sydney Johnson, sounded off about the team's entire rookie group rather than focusing on Citron's accomplishment.
“I think we're very lucky to not only have Sonia, but a lot of good rookies. They're doing a really good job day in and day out, coming in and putting in work,” he said. “We see them growing and learning, and it's just wonderful. Not only points, but we see a lot of different things they're growing in. They're reading defenses better, they're applying their assignments and schemes well. We see growth every day, and we're happy because that's our goal. Every day we want to get better, and they're playing well so far.”
No. 4 overall pick Kiki Iriafen is fourth on FanDuel's Rookie of the Year ranking behind Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun. The 21-year-old is averaging 13.9 points on 47.4 percent shooting with 10.1 rebounds and one assist, and is tied with the Atlanta Dream's Brionna Jones and the Liberty's Jonquel Jones for the most double-doubles in the league (four).
Both Citron and Iriafen starting hot has helped the Mystics find early success, especially when Shakira Austin and Aaliyah Edwards were out. Additionally, second-round pick Lucy Olsen is shooting 44.4 percent from deep off the bench.
Rookies in any sport often need time to adjust to the professional level, but Washington's group has shown no sign of burnout after finishing the 2024-25 NCAA season in March. Meanwhile, No. 6 overall pick Georgia Amoore is getting a year to learn on the sidelines as she recovers from her ACL injury.
Growing pains are to be expected, but the early returns are positive for the Mystics. Next up is a road date with the Indiana Fever on Tuesday before a rematch with the Liberty at CareFirst Arena on Thursday.
