Home / Sports / Rookie Rivals Bueckers and Citron Vie for WNBA Honors
Rookie Rivals Bueckers and Citron Vie for WNBA Honors
5 Aug
Summary
- Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron are top WNBA rookies
- Citron has greater team impact despite Bueckers' individual stats
- Bueckers leads Rookie of the Month awards, but Citron is more valuable to her team
As of August 5th, 2025, two of the WNBA's most promising rookies, Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings and Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics, are vying for Rookie of the Year honors. Bueckers has been the Dallas Wings' most reliable player, averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. She has won the Rookie of the Month award in June and July, showcasing her individual dominance.
However, according to podcaster Jaime Lardis, Citron's impact on the Mystics has been more significant. The Mystics, with a 13-15 record, are a more well-balanced and deeper team than the 8-21 Wings. Citron is second in scoring (14.3 ppg), fourth in assists (2.3 apg), and third in rebounds (4.6 rpg) for the Mystics, demonstrating her all-around contributions.
While Bueckers has been the focus of opposing defenses, Citron has thrived with the support of teammates like Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin, and fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen. Lardis argues that Citron's "stats have more impact" and that she does not have "empty calories" like Bueckers, suggesting the Washington star has been more impactful for her team.
