WNBA Rookie Spotlight: Kiki Iriafen & Sonia Citron

Finding impactful franchise players in a single draft is a significant challenge in any sport. However, the Washington Mystics seem to have discovered two such players in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were selected back-to-back by the Mystics, positioning them as clear winners of the draft. Even the Mystics could not have anticipated the immediate impact this rookie duo is already having in the league.

Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron are the second and third leading scorers for the Mystics, both among WNBA rookies, trailing only Paige Bueckers, the #1 overall pick of the Dallas Wings. Like Bueckers, Iriafen and Citron have made an immediate impact on the Mystics' performance. Iriafen averages 14.6 points per game and is also the team's leading rebounder, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game. Citron has a scoring average close to Iriafen's, with 13.7 points per game through her ten starts.

Iriafen headlined the first month of the season for the rookies, earning the Rookie of the Month award for May. Along with Citron's early success, Iriafen has the Mystics positioned as a team that could contend for a playoff spot, especially after narrowly missing out in the 2024 season.

Although it's still early in the WNBA season, the race for Rookie of the Year has shifted from being led by Bueckers to what seems to be a competitive three-woman race. The Mystics, along with other young teams in the league, have a promising future. Both Iriafen and Citron are expected to become standout stars for years to come.