Entering the final stretch of the 2025 WNBA season, three rookies have clearly staked their claims at the top of the pack: Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen.
In Dallas, Bueckers has been amongst the league’s top scorers and assisters despite a lackluster team record. Citron has been the epitome of efficiency and versatility in Washington. Iriafen, her partner in crime, has been rewriting Washington’s record books all season long thanks to her dominance on the glass and her consistent double-double performances.
All three of these players have lived up to, and even exceeded, expectations this season, creating one of the most exciting Rookie of the Year conversations the WNBA has seen in quite some time. Unfortunately, only one of these talented rookies can be the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year. The only question left to answer is who will win the award?
Paige Bueckers: The Offensive Machine
Paige Bueckers has been putting together one of the greatest rookie seasons the WNBA has ever seen.
Averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, Bueckers is the only player in the WNBA ranked top 10 in points (7th), assists (8th), and steals (T-2nd) per game. She’s also the only player in the league to have scored double-digits in every game played this season, and the only rookie to score at least 30 points in a game.
Bueckers this year became the fastest player ever to reach 450+ points, 100+ rebounds, and 100+ assists, the fastest player ever to reach 400 PTS and 100 AST (tied with Cynthia Cooper), and the first player to reach 350+ PTS and 100+ AST in the first 20 games of their career. Despite her individual greatness, the Wings’ lackluster season may keep her from winning the award.
Unlike the MVP award, team performance typically doesn’t impact the Rookie of the Year conversation. As the first pick in the draft, it is assumed that you’re going to a bad team. That certainly was the case for Paige. Dallas completely overhauled their front office, hired a new head coach, and has seen consistent roster turnover throughout the season.
Furthermore, Paige’s backcourt mate, Arike Ogunbowale, has missed time throughout the season and hasn’t looked great in the games she has played in. Despite Dallas’ struggles, history is on Bueckers’ side. The first overall pick has been the Rookie of the Year 15 times in WNBA history, including each of the last three. If anyone can continue that trend, it’s Paige.
Sonia Citron: The Epitome of Efficiency and Versatility
Sonia Citron’s Rookie of the Year case has grown stronger since the All-Star break.
Citron entered the WNBA as one of the most well-rounded prospects in the draft and she’s lived up to that in Washington. She’s averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. She’s been one of the most efficient scorers in the league this year, shooting 47.1% from the field, 38.8% from deep, and 86% from the charity stripe.
On a rebuilding Mystics team, Citron has been a beacon of consistency on both sides of the ball. Not only has Citron logged 22 games shooting at least 40% from the field, she’s also recorded at least two steals 12 times this season. Unfortunately for Citron, the same arguments can be made for her rookie teammate, Kiki Iriafen.
Kiki Iriafen: The Consistent Double-Double Threat
Before Citron’s recent emergence as a contender for Rookie of the Year, Kiki Iriafen was the leader in the clubhouse.
Iriafen was named Rookie of the Month in May. She averaged 13.8 points on 50.5% shooting and snagged 10.1 rebounds per game in the first seven games of the season, logging four-straight outings with a double-double.
Iriafen’s fast start to the season, coupled with Paige’s brief absence due to injuries, immediately turned the Rookie of the Year race into a two-way showdown. Since May, Iriafen has logged six more double-doubles, bringing her total to 10 on the season, the most ever by a rookie in Mystics history. No other rookie has had more than three.
Her consistency on the glass has also already made her the first rookie in Mystics history to log 250+ rebounds in a season. The only person that could keep her from winning the award is her teammate, Sonia Citron.
https://twitter.com/WomensHoops_USA/status/1954667011969290711
There is a strong argument to be made that Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are one of, if not the absolute best, rookie duos the WNBA has ever seen.
They are the only rookies this season with multiple 20-point, 10-rebound games. They are also the first pair of rookie Mystics teammates to score 20+ points in the same game. Citron leads all rookies in clutch points with 41. Kiki is right behind her with 29.
Both players were All-Star reserves this year. Both have 14 games scoring 10+ points on 50% shooting, leading all rookies. While there’s no denying how stellar their rookie campaigns have been, one could argue that their individual greatness on the same team is more reason why Paige should win the award — since she’s flying solo.
https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1926141682313031732
Final Thoughts
Paige Bueckers has been an offensive machine in Dallas. Sonia Citron has been the epitome of efficiency in Washington. Kiki Iriafen has been right alongside her as a consistent double-double threat. All three players are putting up strong numbers and impacting their teams in their own way. In Dallas, Paige is clearly the face of the franchise and the future of the organization. In Washington, Citron and Iriafen are the strong foundation upon which the Mystics will build their future.
The race for Rookie of the Year has been heating up. Time is running out. Only one of these talented ladies can be Rookie of the Year. The question is: Who will it be? Regardless of who wins the award at season’s end, we should be grateful that we had the opportunity to watch these players start their WNBA careers with such a bang.
Leave a comment