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Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) rushes up the court Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever, 81-80. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sparks Legend Says Paige Bueckers Isn’t a Lock For WNBA Rookie of the Year

Originally posted on Los Angeles Sparks on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Dallas Wings rookie point guard Paige Bueckers has been in the midst of one of the great WNBA seasons for a backcourt player in recent memory — yes, including Caitlin Clark's excellent 2024 start.

The 6-footer, selected with the No. 1 pick fresh off claiming the NCAA title with the University of Connecticut, has already been named an All-Star, and has already emerged as one of the best players at her position. The 23-year-old is averaging 18.4 points on .452/.326/.873 shooting splits, 5.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks a night.

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Former two-time Los Angeles Sparks MVP power forward/center Candace Parker and Clark's current All-WNBA Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston have a must-listen new hoops podcast, "Post Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston." On the latest episode of "Post Moves," the All-Star bigs unpacked Bueckers' remarkable rookie season run so far — and identified the top challenger to her presumed Rookie of the Year throne: Washington Mystics All-Star guard Sonia Citron.

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"Rookie of the Year. Paige vs. Sonia. Paige still leads the rookies in... pretty much every major category and remains the favorite for Rookie of the Year, but could Sonia in August make things a little bit interesting?" Parker wondered.

Citron, a 6-foot-1 guard, was selected with the third overall pick out of Notre Dame this summer. In 32 bouts so far for a good Mystics squad (14-18), she's averaging 14.8 points while slashing .465/.386/.867, 4.5 boards, 2.4 dimes, and 1.3 swipes a night.

"It's going to be great," Boston opined of the competition between the two down the regular season's home stretch. "And everyone that gets to vote is going to have a fun job doing that. But I think it's great. I love seeing when rookies come into the league and they continue to do what they do best: score the ball, play defense, whatever it is. And I feel like both Sonia and Paige are killing it."

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"They really are. And even Kiki [Iriafen, Citron's fellow Mystics All-Star rookie] I think. Just their presence, just coming in with that confidence of, 'Listen, I know this is new, but we're still hoopers. This is what we do.' And I feel like that's the best mindset to have. You can tell that that's the mindset they did have."

"Well again, Sonia is like, 'Listen, everybody had you as a preseason Rookie of the Year favorite, Paige,' but the last six games she is putting it up for debate," Parker said. "Back in July, Paige became the first player in WNBA history to total 350 points, 100 assists in the first 20 games of their career, and so Paige is having herself a season, I think it's just a matter of her being on the court... So this could be interesting. I think I give the nod to Paige Bueckers for Rookie of the Year but Sonia, make me change my ways!"

Parker was referring to Citron's six games played between July 29 and August 10, during which she averaged 19.5 points on an elite .554/.538/.750 slash line, 3.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a night.