Some will say that the Washington Mystics are supposed to be tanking. That statement is half true and half untrue. The reason is that while the team is managing to WNBA Draft lottery picks, they’ve managed to make a significant impact that puts the team in contention for a playoff spot.
The past few seasons, it was players like Shakira Austin and Aaliyah Edwards who were helping the Mystics elevate as a franchise. The trend has continued this season as rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have both been leading factors in Washington’s success.
When two of your rookies are selected to play in this season’s All-Star game, that means great things are happening. Through most of the season, the Mystics have been carried by both Iriafen and Citron which has led to big wins. The two have played with a great level of confidence, and it has resulted in big performances. Credit also has to be given to Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson for understanding the vision of building the team around his two young stars.
The Mystics have a foundation for success in Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron
Some are surprised by the early success of both Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. However, others are not. Both Iriafen and Citron were projected to be lottery picks after their illustrious college careers. While Citron was one of the x-factors at Notre Dame, Iriafen was on the West Coast, being a shining star at both Stanford and USC.
The Chicago Sky did the Washington Mystics a favor by trading their third pick to bring in Ariel Atkins. The Mystics used that to their advantage and snatched Citron before it’s too late. It’s safe to say that the world still has yet to see the best of Sonia Citron. As she was overshadowed by star players like Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, the world had yet to watch her play at her full potential.
While I still don’t believe Sonia Citron has played at her full potential, she’s certainly shown flashes of the player she can become. Playing in Washington has unlocked Citron as a shot creator, playmaker, and rebounder. She’s shown to be dangerous both with and without the ball as she finds different ways to create opportunities for herself to score. As a decision-maker, Citron has also been well from that aspect of the game. Making the right reads is what she does best, and she always looks to make a great play for the benefit of the team.
Citron’s impact shows in the stat sheet as well. She's averaging 14.6 points along with two assists on 46 percent shooting. She has seven games where she’s recorded 15+ points, along with two double-doubles. A standout performance for Citron thus far was her season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds in their win over the Dallas Wings. As time continues, she’ll certainly have more big performances where she’s impacting the game in multiple ways.
As for Kiki Iriafen, what more can you say. She was a player who was projected to be one of the WNBA’s next best things. It turns out that she has lived up to every expectation. From going head-to-head against the reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to defending some of the best centers in the WNBA, Iriafen has been exposed to a lot in her early career.
There were questions about Iriafen heading into the 2025 WNBA Draft. While the talent was always there, the situation was the biggest question mark. Although Iriafen transferred to USC for her last college season, it wasn’t the best situation where she was utilized correctly. With a player that talented, a team has to play her to her maximum potential and allow her to shine as the best player.
Once again, Coach Johnson understood the vision when the Mystics drafted Irifafen. He saw raw talent that could one day stand out as the best player in the WNBA. The beginning of Kiki Iriafen’s WNBA career was not an easy challenge. Having to defend Brittney Griner and Tina Charles in back-to-back games isn’t a situation any rookie wanted to be in. Luckily, Iriafen answered the call and has embraced every challenge that she’s been placed against.
Defense has been one area where Iriafen has found success. She had great strength and attention to detail to slow down opposing teams’ centers. However, Iriafen has also contjjjes to show her talent offensively. The WNBA is a league where bigs are at the top of their game. In order to survive, you must have some skill to your craft. Iriafen has continued to give the defense fits with her face-up game, scoring off the dribble, as well as finding opportunities around the rim.
The shooting numbers back up Iriafen’s great season as she’s shooting 46 percent to go along with 12.3 points. Her standout performance took place on June 26 as she recorded 12 points and nine rebounds in a win over the Las Vegas Aces. I understand that this game didn’t showcase Iriafen’s career-high. But why was the performance so important? Because she played well against one of the best players in the WNBA in A’ja Wilson. Iriafen was effective on both ends of the floor as she showed fearlessness when matching up against a former championship team. Playing with a lot of energy in the contest was eye-opening for a lot of fans as they’re now intrigued to see how the rest of her career goes.
In conclusion, this is a moment that both Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen deserve. All-Stars are not always determined by crazy averages but who has been most impactful for their team. As a duo, Iriafen and Citron have placed the Washing Mystics in good positions this season and in their future. As they suit up for the All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana, it will be a representation to how spectacular the two have been this season.