Just last night, Sonia Citron matched Caitlin Clark’s rookie benchmark of 35 games with double-digit scoring by dropping 11 against Golden State. One game later, she has left Clark in the rearview. With 12 points versus the Sparks, Citron now stands alone at 36 such outings; it’s a new rookie standard. The Mystics may have lost, but as so often this season, Sonia still burned bright. Bright enough, perhaps, to cast a shadow over Paige Bueckers’ Rookie of the Year campaign.

In fact, Sonia Citron has been Paige’s quiet tormentor all year. She has matched her record for record and even edged her in head-to-head battles. Here’s proof-

The official award remains weeks away, but Sonia Citron’s résumé is already written. She is 18th in the league in scoring at 15.2 points per game, alongside 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. So, Paige Bueckers may carry the headlines, but Sonia Citron has carried consistency… and sometimes, that is the more resounding argument. The fans have noticed it too, and here’s what they have to say about it-

Sonia Citron vs Paige Bueckers

It all began with a picture. Sonia Citron’s snapshot went viral on X, as the WNBA’s official account posted it. They added a caption to announce her milestone with siren emojis: “Sonia Citron recorded her 36th game of the season scoring in double-digits vs. the Sparks. She had 12 PTS, 3 AST, 3 3PM & 2 STL 🚨 She passes Caitlin Clark for most such games by a rookie in WNBA history! #WelcometotheW. Postseason Push”.

In that exact moment, one voice matched the league’s tone, and the person declared, “Sonia Citron is definitely a dynamic rookie with a great future.” With averages of 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals, and the distinction of being the only rookie in this year’s 3-point All-Star contest, her future surely glitters. But brighter than Paige Bueckers’? That’s the thorny question. Paige Bueckers has already proved it by dropping 44 points against the Sparks. That night, she even eclipsed Candace Parker’s 2008 rookie record of 40. Still, the takes flared: “SONIA CITRON IS ROTY!!! PAIGE BUECKERS IS NOT!!!” and “Rookie of the Year, Sonia Citron.”

Then came the analytical voices as one person wrote: “I don’t know if Paige Bueckers should be ROY. Sonia Citron should be considered and her team has a way better record which says a lot abt them. Their stats are comparable. BTW, I am a PB fan but not a fanatic.” Indeed, the numbers are comparable:

But notice carefully, and that’s a 6-6 tie in all major categories, since their TOs are more or less similar, and it’s why loyalty flows Bueckers’ way too. UCLA guard Kiki Rice told Sports Illustrated: “I think Paige will get it, and I think she deserves it. She’s had a great year. Sonia’s been playing really well, too, but Paige, she looks like a five-year vet out there… I catch myself like, wait, she’s a rookie? What’s going on here? She’s so comfortable, and she looks amazing.”

Echoing that sentiment, the battle lines shifted. Some dismissed Sonia’s “better franchise standings” argument and said, “All this about ‘Sonia carried her team to the playoffs and Paige couldn’t!’ just for her team to not even make the damn playoffs.” Another jab followed: “So now that the Mystics have been eliminated from the playoffs, just like Dallas, what’s the argument for Sonia over Paige as ROY? Some of y’all were saying playoff contention gave Sonia the edge so what now? I’ll wait…”

Out of the postseason picture, whether 10th place or 13th. In that moment, a 7-win difference felt irrelevant to many people. Feels unfair, right? Clark’s fans felt so too, for different reasons. As they remembered how the league overlooked an elephant in the room: the extra four games added to the schedule this season. That wrinkle mattered. Without the expanded 44-game slate, Citron would have finished tied with Caitlin Clark at 35 double-digit outings. It was game 41, not 40, that allowed Citron to stretch her streak to 36.

The critics pounced: “She played more games then CC. They play 4 more game this year.” Another chimed: “All kinds of records should be broken given the 4 game increase.” And finally, bluntly: “40 games vs 41 tho.” So yes, Sonia Citron’s rise inspired as much admiration as skepticism. The debate was already wild when one commenter threw in a curveball: no stats, no schedules, just superstition:

“We started the month with people pushing hard for Sonia ROTY, citing team record & ‘leading her team to wins.’ Since then:
– Mystics went 3-12
– Mystics were eliminated from playoff contention
– Paige dropped 44 pts and broke the rookie scoring record
voodoo is so serious 😭”

Hardly the real reason, of course, but here we are with Sonia Citron’s steady brilliance, Bueckers’ explosive flashes, fans wielding numbers, narratives, and even voodoo dolls. Now the question bounces to you: is this rookie race destiny, data… or a touch of the mystical? Let us know in the comments!