Iriafen reflects on WNBA draft experience
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NBC Sports
a minute ago
- NBC Sports
Opportunity in Washington helped Mystics rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen become WNBA All-Stars
WASHINGTON — When Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were drafted by a rebuilding Washington team, it was clear they'd have a chance to make a quick impact. It turned out to be a historic one. Citron and Iriafen bothw were WNBA All-Stars, becoming the first pair of rookie teammates to achieve that since 1999. Their inclusion was an acknowledgement of how quickly they've established themselves in the league — and the way they've helped improve the Mystics' outlook. 'From the beginning, Slim (guard Brittney Sykes) told me like, 'You're not a rookie. We drafted you for a reason, we drafted Kiki for a reason, so you guys just go out and do what you do,'' Citron said. That's not something rookies — even first-round picks like Citron and Iriafen — can take for granted. The WNBA famously is a tough league to break into. For every immediate rookie star like Paige Bueckers, there's another high pick facing a slower adjustment timeline. Bueckers, Citron and Iriafen all were All-Stars, the first time three rookies made it since 2011. But they're the only rookies averaging over 10 points per game this year. Some of that comes down to opportunity. After finishing 14-26 last year, Washington brought in Jamila Wideman as its general manager and Sydney Johnson as its coach. Then the Mystics took Citron out of Notre Dame with the third pick in the draft and Iriafen out of Southern California with the next pick. Having both become All-Stars was pretty much the best-case scenario. Especially since both had a chance to go to Indiana and spend time with some of the game's biggest stars. 'I think there's another couple of jumps that they're looking to take, and I think they were rubbing elbows with some of those players that they aspire to be like, to outperform,' Johnson said. The 6-foot-3 Iriafen scored 17 points in the game and Citron, a 6-1 guard, added 11. Citron also took part in the 3-point contest — and the winner, Sabrina Ionescu, said she'd give half her winnings to the Washington rookie. Johnson said observing how players like Ionescu go about their business is valuable. 'Sabrina put on a show with the 3-point contest. Sonia knows how good of a shooter she is — Sonia is — and then you look, and there's like a whole other level there with Sabrina,' Johnson said. 'That's respecting Sonia, but that's calling it what it is. Just seeing pro habits, how they approach the game, how competitive they are, how they're on all the time.' Now the challenge for Citron and Iriafen is to maintain their level of production. Citron is averaging 13.8 points per game, second on the team behind Sykes, another Washington All-Star. Iriafen is averaging 12 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds. They won't be sneaking up on anyone after being named All-Stars. In the first game back from the break, Washington lost to Los Angeles. Citron was held to seven points, but Iriafen contributed 13. 'Not being one-dimensional, and finding different ways to impact the game,' Iriafen said of her challenge the rest of the way. 'Maybe it is scoring, maybe it's being more of a defensive threat. Just not relying on what I did in the first half, and just continuing to get better.' The Mystics (11-12) were in eighth place, a half-game ahead of expansion Golden State (10-12) and not far behind Las Vegas (12-11) and Indiana (12-12). The loss to the Sparks was the start of a five-game homestand that could be crucial to Washington's postseason hopes. The Mystics won the 2019 championship but haven't posted a winning record since 2022 and have missed the playoffs the last two years. Whatever the stretch run has in store, Washington can look forward to the future after what the Mystics have seen from their rookie All-Star duo. 'I think it's amazing,' Citron said. 'I think me and Kiki work really hard, and it's just cool that people are seeing that.'
USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
First image of Christian Gonzalez facing Stefon Diggs at Patriots camp
The New England Patriots showed off the first image of All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez lining up against four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a social media post on Thursday. Gonzalez admitted earlier in the week that he was excited to match up against Diggs in practice. Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. Gonzalez is on the rise as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Diggs is looking to climb back into the elite tier of wide receivers, following an ACL injury last October. Before the injury, Diggs was coming off six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. There's hope that he can get back to that same level in New England. One way for Diggs to test himself is frequent head-to-head matchups against one of the top corners in the game. Gonzalez recently made ESPN's top-10 cornerbacks list, which polled votes from executives, coaches and NFL scouts around the league. The former Oregon standout landed at No. 6 in the rankings with one NFL assistant comparing him to the No. 1 player on the list, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. "I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant said, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to Pat [Surtain II]. Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy." Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
UPI
30 minutes ago
- UPI
Caitlin Clark rookie basketball card sells for record $660,000
July 25 (UPI) -- A Caitlin Clark rookie card sold for $660,000 at auction, setting a record for the priciest women's sports card in history, Fanatics Collect announced Friday. The sale of the 1 of 1 Caitlin Clark Flawless Logowoman broke the previous mark of $366,000, which also was set by a Clark card -- her 2024 Prizm Gold Vinyl 1/1 rookie. The latest card's sale price is nearly double the value of Clark's four-year, $338,056 contract with the Indiana Fever. The Fever guard inscribed the card with her autograph and the words "769 pts and counting," a reference to her rookie scoring total from 2024. The card also features the WNBA patch from one of her uniforms. Clark, 23, averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game through her first 13 appearances this season. The two-time All-Star logged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game over 40 appearances during her Rookie of the Year campaign. BREAKING: The Caitlin Clark Flawless Logowoman 1/1 has just sold for $660,000 It has broke the previous women's sports card record of $366,000 - set by her own 2024 Prizm Gold Vinyl 1/1 rookie auto. This card, inscribed with "769 pts and counting" - her rookie season total -... Fanatics Collect (@FanaticsCollect) July 25, 2025 Clark, who hasn't played since July 15, missed 12 of the Fever's first 25 games this season due to injuries. The Fever said Thursday that she has no timetable for return as she recovers from a groin issue. The Fever beat the Las Vegas Aces 80-70 on Thursday in Indianapolis to improve to 5-7 in games played without Clark this season. They 13-12 record and sit in sixth place in the WNBA standings, behind the first-place Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream. The Fever will play the 11th-place Chicago Sky (7-17) at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday in Chicago.
