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Sabrina Ionescu Gave Mystics Rookie Her Welcome to the WNBA Moment

A little welcome to the WNBA moment for the rookie.
Tim Capurso|
Ionescu converted an and-one basket over Citron, then let her know about it.
Ionescu converted an and-one basket over Citron, then let her know about it. | Screengrab Twitter @WNBA

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New York LibertyWashington Mystics

Every rookie gets their welcome to the pros moment sooner or later.

For Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron, the third overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, that moment occurred during Friday's game against the defending-champion New York Liberty at CareFirst Arena.

With 6:44 remaining in the third quarter, Liberty guard and three-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu took a dribble handoff from teammate Jonquel Jones and, in a savvy scorer's move, kept Citron on her hip and drew the contact as she drained a floater in the paint.

Ionescu then proceeded to let Citron, who was whistled for a personal foul, know about what had just transpired. The Liberty star gave the Mystics rookie a pat on the rear as she headed to the free throw line, where she drained the foul shot.

The and-one basket and subsequent free throw represented three of Ionescu's game-high 26 points—and counting. As for Citron, the Mystics rookie has acquitted herself well in her careeer thus far, having entered Friday's game with averages of 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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