WNBA Rookie of The Year (ROY) Rankings 2025: Top 5 candidates after Week 1 ft. Sonia Citron

The 2025 WNBA season is off to a hot start. Sonia Citron and the rest of this year's rookie class are already leaving their mark on the league as they settle into their first professional seasons. The jump from college basketball to the WNBA is one of the biggest in all of professional sports, but some of 2025's rookies are making things look easy.

This year's draft was one of the more interesting ones in recent memory. It doesn't have the star power that last year's did with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but in the long run, this class of rookies could prove to be deeper than their predecessors.

Here are our WNBA Rookie of the Year rankings after the first week of the season, with Sonia Citron as the early front-runner for the award.

#1 Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)

WNBA: MAY 18 Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun - Source: Getty

Sonia Citron was one of the top picks in the draft, but she wasn't one of the most popular names available. She was the third scorer on Notre Dame behind Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, but she has stepped up for the Mystics. She is leading WNBA rookies with 17.0 points per game, and she has maintained her shooting prowess from deep.

#2 Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)

Seattle Storm v Dallas Wings - Source: Getty

Paige Bueckers was the undisputed top prospect in this year's draft class, and she has lived up to expectations through two games with the Wings. Her 3-point shooting is lacking so far, but she is still averaging 14.5 points per game, fitting alongside All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale in the Dallas backcourt. Both Wings stars are playing well, but their scoring isn't translating to wins.

#3 Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)

Kiki Iriafen made a name for herself throughout her last college basketball season, but burst onto the scene during the NCAA Tournament. The 21-year-old forward stepped up for USC when JuJu Watkins went down with an injury, and she is proving that her improved play wasn't a fluke. She and Sonia Citron have formed one of the best rookie duos in the league so far this season for the Mystics.

#4 Te-Hina Paopao (Atlanta Dream)

Atlanta Dream v Washington Mystics - Source: Getty

Te-Hina Paopao might have made the best move of any rookie to score her first points in the WNBA with a euro-step in transition against the Washington Mystics. However, the biggest takeaway for her might have been the four assists she was able to rack up. The Dream need Paopao to be a playmaker this season to help put Brittney Griner and Allisha Gray in the best positions to score.

#5 Sarah Ashlee Barker (LA Sparks)

Los Angeles Sparks v Golden State Valkyries - Source: Getty

Sarah Ashlee Barker is playing amongst stars with the Sparks this season. Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby are expected to lead the way for Los Angeles, but Barker's 3-point shooting could make her an asset. Through two games, Barker has played well off the bench and could become a star in her role if her shooting can catch up to her talent.

About the author

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

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Edited by Zachary Howell