All-Star Rookie Duo is Making Magic with the Mystics » Winsidr

Kiki Iriafen won’t be pushed around.

As one half of the most dynamic rookie duo in the WNBA, the forward out of USC quickly proved she wasn’t going to be “a punk”, as she put it, going toe-to-toe with the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham in her first-ever professional game, a preseason affair on May 3rd.

“People want to target rookies,” Iriafen said after a recent shoot-around. “I just wanted to hold my own.”

Iriafen and her first-year counterpart, Sonia Citron out of Notre Dame, have more than held their own two months into their first WNBA seasons; the former was named Rookie of the Month in May, the latter is the second-leading rookie scorer at over 14 points per game. Both were recently named to their first All Star teams, two of the three rookies (the other is Paige Bueckers) to make the roster. Iriafen and Citron have also led a renaissance for a surprising Mystics team that finds itself in the hunt for a playoff spot despite being picked by most pundits to finish near the bottom of the standings in 2025.

There were certainly expectations for Citron and Iriafen, who developed a quick and easy chemistry from the moment they met during the pre-draft process in New York City. 

“They clicked,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson told Winsidr. “From their personalities, the programs that they play for, their team first focus.” 

Johnson said that Iriafen and Citron, along with fellow first-round draft pick Georgia Amoore, had a sense they might all end up in D.C. based on “how hard we were on them” during the pre-draft process. He said the trio quickly adopted a culture of humility and selflessness, saying they “really wanted to compete, but they wanted to do it together.” Unfortunately, the trio became a duo when Amoore was sidelined for the season after tearing her ACL in a practice toward the end of April.

Yet that togetherness is a big part of the success for the Mystics, and it starts with the on-and-off the court connection of the rookies. 

“We spend so much time together,” Iriafen said of her and Citron. “I think the biggest surprise was just how quickly the chemistry developed. But I think it’s because we’re both so selfless. I want the best for Soni and she wants the best for me, and along with the rest of our teammates.”

Iriafen is averaging 12.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds, and has seven double-doubles already, tied for fifth-most in the league. The inside-outside duo has been good for the Mystics as a whole, making it difficult for opposing defenses to pick their battles. 

“Kiki is a lot to handle in the paint, so when people have to double her, then I’m on the outside hoping that they double so then I can get a kick out,” Citron said. ”If they’re trying to stop me from shooting, then that inside is open. It’s kind of hard to guard both.”

Citron has displayed that selflessness through her play style; as a true two-way player, she is second among rookies in scoring (14.4 points per game), is third in rebounds per game (4.9) and tied for fifth in steals (1.0 per game), all while averaging 35 minutes per game in the month of June. 

“She’s got it all,” Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclanes said about Citron after his team defeated the Mystics on June 28th. “[I’m] just really impressed with her IQ, and the speed at which she plays. It’s just silky smooth.” 

Koclanes also highlighted another key to Citron’s success: the way the game has slowed down for her. “She just plays at her own tempo,” he said. “She doesn’t get sped up.”

The speed of the game is something that often separates the good ones from the great ones in sports, and that’s especially true for rookies at the professional level. The ability to have the game “slow down” has been one of the secrets to the success of Iriafen and Citron in Washington, who are focusing on the mantra, “slow is pro.”

“Obviously, everyone’s faster and stronger,” Iriafen said. “But [I’m] trying not to get sped up and just kind of let the game flow. The biggest thing is my coaches always tell me that ‘slow is pro’, so I try to embody that.”

It’s one thing to talk about slowing the game down, it’s another to actually do it. Iriafen says for her, she just needed the experience. 

“I think you have to just go through it,” Iriafen said. “I like to work out with my coaches every day and get game reps, watch film as well. For me, that’s really helpful to just see moments where I’m sped up, and [think]how can I be better the next time.”

The film study and attention to detail has impressed their coach in their rookie seasons.

“There’s talent with Sonia and Kiki, and then there’s a whole other level of professionalism and their habits,” Johnson said. “And I think that’s what is setting them apart from your average rookie. Yes, they can play, but their willingness to come in early, stay late, pour into film sessions, respond to our position coaches, respond to the coaching from myself and others, and just be a sponge is what makes them really special.”

Some of those elite habits were learned during their journey to the W; both players were high school All- Americans before matriculating to blue blood collegiate programs. But they’ve also been coached up by some of the best veterans in the league, and are absorbing the lessons.

Citron speaks highly of her veteran teammates, especially Brittany Sykes and Stefanie Dolson, whom she calls “very experienced.” Citron has leaned on her backcourt-mate Sykes, who has helped her with on-the-court strategy and the mental aspect off-the-court. “Slim, just because she’s a fellow guard, she’s really been helping me out personally. Just making sure our mentality is okay after a hard loss or after a great win.”

Iriafen has leaned on the 12-year veteran Dolson, who has done and seen it all. 

“She’s someone that’s constantly talking to me, giving me tips offensively, giving me advice defensively,” Iriafen said. “She’s been in the league for a while, so she knows the different matchups and what their tendencies are, so she’s kind of like another coach for me on the sidelines, and it’s been great just helping me transition to the league.”

While the veteran presence has certainly helped, the duo came in with a maturity beyond their years as well. It’s been noticed by their teammates, young and old. Second-year player Aaliyah Edwards believes their confidence is what sets them apart.

“[They’re] playing with a sense of fearlessness and just going out there and hooping,” Edwards said on a recent episode of the Between the Lines podcast with Lisa Leslie of how the two rookies have stood out. “I think that’s one thing, as a rookie, you don’t really have any expectations. You just kind of go out there to hoop. They’ve really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young but also them being so adaptable.”

For Citron, the formula for success for her and fellow rookie Iriafen is simple. 

“[We come in] knowing that they drafted us for a reason, to do what we’re good at, but to know that we’re not going to be perfect,” Citron said. “And that all our coach asks us is to play hard, to get better every day, and to play with joy.”

Citron and Iriafen are certainly playing with joy, and they’re making Mystic fans happy in the process.

Full clip from the interview here: