Way-too-early WNBA rookie ladder: where do Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron stack up after Week 1?

We’re only one week into the WNBA season, but already, several players look like Rookie of the Year prospects. It’s no surprise that Paige Bueckers, the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, is an early standout. But the Washington Mystics two first-round selections have exceeded expectations too, as have several others in the early days.

Here’s a way-too-early WNBA rookie ladder, which we’ll update every month through the season.

2025 Stats: 14.7 points (50% FG, 36.4% from three), 3.7 rebounds, 2 assists

Sonia Citron, the Mystics’ third overall pick, has been stellar through three games. She leads all rookies in scoring and was a crucial part of the team’s 2-0 start, posting 19 points on 6-7 shooting on opening night against the Atlanta Dream and 15 points on 5-10 shooting in a subsequent win over the Connecticut Sun.

She’s also shown off the defensive abilities that made her a lottery pick, holding Dream All-Star Rhyne Howard to 4-14 shooting.

“It’s a challenge that I like,” Citron said after opening night. “I told Coach that I want to be able to play both sides of the ball, and defending players like Rhyne [is] only going to make me better.”

2025 Stats: 13.7 points (51.7% FG), 10 rebounds

Kiki Iriafen was selected fourth overall by the Mystics after a standout career at Stanford and an up-and-down final season at USC. But, the 6’3 forward has been masterful through three games as a pro, posting a double-double in each of the last two games and matching up well against the Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun’s bigs — a veteran group that includes some of the sport’s all-time greats in Brittney Griner and Tina Charles.

“Her poise in the moment is exceptional,” Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said after the Mystics’ loss to the Golden State Valkyries. “We’re talking about a rookie three games into her career. I just love everything about her, and we’re expecting she’ll continue to build.”

Iriafen tallied 10 points (5-11 FG) and 12 rebounds on Wednesday night in the Bay — and impressed her coach in the process.

“Her having a double-double when she’s probably not at her best says a lot about her as a player,” Johnson said.

2025 Stats: 13.7 points (37.1% FG, 33.3% on threes), 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds

The Dallas Wings (0-3) have struggled in the early days, and Bueckers has been less efficient than her incredibly efficient UConn self.

Still, she’s shown flashes of brilliance through her first week as a professional, posting 19 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block against the Seattle Storm. She followed that up with a 12-point, 10-assist, 3-steal performance in front of a hometown crowd in Minnesota.

Unsurprisingly, Bueckers leads all rookies in assists per game. And, in Wednesday’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx, she became the second-fastest rookie to record a double-double with points and assists (and just the third rookie to ever do so in the first three games of her career).

“I think Paige is gonna be really good,” said Lynx star Napheesa Collier after competing against Bueckers for the first time in her career. “She’s a three-level scorer. She’s a great passer.”

2025 Stats: 11 points (42.9% FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Saniyah Rivers has only appeared in one game so far, but she showed some excellent flashes in her WNBA debut. The 8th overall pick tallied 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 25 minutes off the bench for the Connecticut Sun.

Honorable Mentions: Janelle Salaun (Golden State Valkyries), Kitija Laksa (Phoenix Mercury), Te-hina Paopao (Atlanta Dream), Carla Leite (Valkyries), Kathryn Westbeld (Mercury)