One is a soft-spoken sniper. The other is the face of a new generation of American basketball. Together, Sonia Citron and Paige Bueckers form one of Team USA’s most intriguing new partnerships and Citron just explained why their connection works so perfectly.
With the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico approaching, the United States already has its place secured for the 2026 tournament in Berlin. But the event will serve as a testing ground for new combinations of veterans and newcomers, including the budding backcourt duo currently building chemistry in Unrivaled Basketball.
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Speaking after Hive BC’s loss to Mist BC, Sonia Citron spoke about Paige Bueckers and how the two 2025 WNBA Draft picks get along off the court while pushing each other to be better. “Paige is an amazing person. I would definitely say that Unrivaled brought us closer together. You know, we were hanging out and getting to know each other.”
She added, “I think she’s just the extrovert that gets me out of the house, you know, like… she’s just a really fun person to be around. So, I would definitely agree with her and just say we push each other, but at the same time, we also support each other.”
Paige Bueckers also mentioned Sonia Citron as a player she gets along well with in Unrivaled, calling her “real connections”, aside from her Breeze BC teammates.
Bueckers has been a colossal success for the Dallas Wings, making headlines with his performances. The UConn graduate made the All-WNBA 2nd team and also won the Rookie of the Year award.
May 30, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, United States; Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) shoots the ball as New York Liberty guard Rebekah Gardner (7) defends in the second half at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Citron’s three-pointer surprised everyone. Averaging 44.5% accuracy on three-pointers, Citron became a focal point of the Mystics’ offense from the start. The 22-year-old also earned a spot on the All-Rookie team for 2025 alongside Bueckers, franchise teammate Kiki Iriafen, Dominique Malonga and Janelle Salaun.
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The two players could be seen together in future USA Basketball features, including potential FIBA World Cup 2026 qualifier appearances for the United States national team, and it will be interesting to see how their chemistry off the field can translate into something quantifiable on the field.
Citron and Bueckers’ budding bond also echoes one of the WNBA’s most famous friendships between rivals: Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.
For nearly two decades, Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury and Bird’s Seattle Storm faced off in the Western Conference while the two guards remained inseparable off the court, winning multiple Olympic gold medals together for Team USA and openly embracing the “best friends who always want to fight” dynamic.
This type of competitive friendship is the model for what Citron and Bueckers are beginning to build as they perfect their respective games in Unrivaled and look ahead to future USA Basketball runs.
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Sonia Citron hopes to learn from Brittney Sykes’ work ethic
The 22-year-old Mystics goaltender has had a whirlwind year. From college to the draft to the season to playing Unrivaled in the offseason, Sonia Citron barely had time to soak it all in. In Unrivaled, the shooting guard has slowly gotten to know the other players and named Brittney Sykes as a veteran she watches closely.
Citron noted his admiration for Sykes and his work ethic outside of the game, as well as his obsession with continuing to work his body and the game during practice. Sonia Citron and Brittney Sykes spent a brief time together in Washington.
Shortly after Citron came to the Washington Mystics after being drafted 3rd, Sykes was dealt to the Seattle Storm in a trade that brought veteran Alysha Clark and future draft capital to Washington.
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In fact, Citron surpassed Sykes’ mark to set the Mystics’ single-season scoring record, finishing his first year with 657 points. Sykes is a veteran who doesn’t give up easily, and that’s exactly what Citron demonstrated in the loss to Mist BC.
After a terrible shooting performance in the first half, Citron came back strong before finishing the game with an 8-of-16 shooting performance that helped her get 17 points on the board.
The 22-year-old is part of a young Washington Mystics team and hopes to use the experience and learnings gained in Unrivaled during the 2026 WNBA season.
