WNBA Rookie of The Year (ROY) Rankings 2025: Top 5 candidates after Week 6 ft. Sonia Citron

After six weeks of the regular season, Sonia Citron, Paige Bueckers and Kiki Iriafen are the favorites to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Last season, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were the only real contenders for the award, both earning All-Star appearances in their first professional season.

This year features three of the top five picks from the 2025 WNBA draft jockeying for position. While the Dallas Wings walked away from the draft with the best overall player in Bueckers, the Washington Mystics appear to have hit on both of their early selections with Citron and Iriafen.

The biggest separation between the two Mystics standouts and Bueckers is their record. Despite leading her team in scoring almost every night, the No. 1 pick sits near the bottom of the league at 3-12. If the Rookie of the Year race comes down to the end of the season, signature performances and where teams finish in the standings could be the deciding factors.

WNBA Rookie of The Year rankings after Week 6

#1 Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)

WNBA: Dallas Wings at Washington Mystics - Source: Imagn

Sonia Citron entered the draft as a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect. Her shooting prowess and playmaking skills helped her get picked as early as she did, but some teams had their eyes on flashier players. After averaging double figures last week and securing her first career double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Wings, Citron is the new leader in the race.

#2 Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)

Paige Bueckers lost her first matchup against Citron and Iriafen, her main competition for the Rookie of the Year award, in a 91-88 overtime thriller. However, she notched at least 20 points for the third straight game on efficient shooting from the field. Arike Ogunbowale has begun to turn things around after a slow start, and Bueckers might finally get the help she needs to start winning games.

#3 Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)

After a hot start to the season, Kiki Iriafen's play has come back down to earth. Her performance against the Wings on Sunday reminded fans that she is an extremely well-rounded player. She finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. There has only been one 5-by-5 game in WNBA history (Candace Parker in 2008), but Iriafen showed she is capable of getting close to it.

#4 Kitija Laksa (Phoenix Mercury)

WNBA: Phoenix Mercury at Connecticut Sun - Source: Imagn

On a Mercury team with names like Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally, Kitija Laksa does not need to be the scorer she was in college. Instead, the rookie guard has become one of the team's sharpshooters, making more than two 3-pointers per game while shooting better than 40% from deep.

She reached double digits in all three games last week and is a perfect fit alongside Phoenix’s stars.

#5 Janelle Salaun (Golden State Valkyries)

WNBA: Golden State Valkyries at Los Angeles Sparks - Source: Imagn

Janelle Salaun has not played in a Valkyries game since June 9, but her play in EuroBasket keeps her on this list. Through three games, the rookie led France in scoring at 20.7 points per game. She shot better than 60% from the field and 50% from three through her team’s first three games and has her team in the driver’s seat during the elimination phase of the tournament.

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.

Know More

Edited by Zachary Howell