The Washington Mystics walked into Connecticut on Wednesday missing two of their top three scorers. That didn’t stop them from walking out with an 88-81 win.
Second-year guard Sonia Citron put together the kind of performance that makes you wonder how much higher her ceiling might be. She finished with 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting, a career-high 12 rebounds, four assists and a block over 38 minutes. She also went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line. That stat line led all players in points and rebounds and tied for the assist lead.
This wasn’t just a good game. It was a necessary one. Kiki Iriafen (ankle) and Shakira Austin (knee) both sat, leaving the Mystics without their second and third leading scorers. Coach Sydney Johnson rode Citron hard — her 38 minutes topped everyone on the floor — and only went three deep on his bench. Connecticut used seven reserves and outscored Washington’s bench 42-11. Didn’t matter.
Citron has been up and down this season, which is pretty normal for a 22-year-old carrying a scoring load. She’s taken less than 10 shots in four of her 12 games. But she’s also had three games of 26-plus points and four games with at least 10 free throw attempts. When she’s aggressive, she can carry a team.
All-star voting and a growing case
Wednesday’s game came a few hours after the first fan returns for WNBA All-Star voting dropped. Citron ranked 18th with 73,274 votes, per WNBA Communications. Iriafen was 15th with 88,931. There are 22 All-Star spots total, decided by a mix of fans, players, media and coaches. Both players look like they could earn reserve spots for the second straight year.
The Mystics drafted Citron and Iriafen third and fourth overall in 2025. Pair those two with Austin and forward Michaela Onyenwere, and it’s clearer why Washington is 6-7 and half a game out of a playoff spot despite being the youngest team in league history. Onyenwere chipped in 22 points Wednesday on 8-of-12 shooting and a perfect 4-of-4 from deep.
Stewart breaks down what’s next for Citron
The Mystics got blown out by the Liberty on Sunday, 86-64, while New York had all its stars. Citron went quiet in that one — 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting with three rebounds and two assists. After that game, Breanna Stewart gave ClutchPoints her read on Citron’s development.
“I think Soni is continuing to understand her spots, her awareness,” Stewart said. “I’m sure that on a team like DC she’s getting different coverages every single night and learning how to read those and differentiate them. Also being a young leader on the team. Hopefully we made it a little tougher for her tonight, because she’s capable of going off at any moment.”
Citron backed that up Friday with a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper to beat the Toronto Tempo 86-85, then followed it with Wednesday’s double-double. Up-and-down production is part of the deal for young players. But flashes like these make it easy to see why people think she’s got All-WNBA potential.
She’ll get another shot at the Liberty this Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION.
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