When Caitlin Clark stormed into the WNBA last year, it felt like history was being written in real time. A rookie locking up 66 of 67 votes for Rookie of the Year. It said a lot. But here we are, just a season later, watching a new chapter unfold. Paige Bueckers, the long-hyped phenom, is finally on the stage everyone’s been waiting for. Across from her? Sonia Citron, the underdog who refuses to stay in the shadows. These two are all set to go head-to-head for what might possibly be the greatest Rookie of the Year battle in recent times, and the Mystics’ star is quickly making a strong case for the award.

Coming off an impressive college run, there was no doubt that Sonia Citron was going to turn a few heads in her pro career. But as coach Sydney Johnson says, “you just didn’t know it was going to happen so quickly. … just couldn’t have predicted it.” The Mystics have slowly watched the rookie peel back layers with every game, giving the team what Brittney Sykes calls “superpowers.” 

Over the last six games, Sonia Citron has put up 117 points and 21 assists, looking more polished with every outing. Her latest showcase came against the LA Sparks, where she dropped 24 points on 56.3% shooting while adding 3 assists. That performance didn’t just fuel a Mystics win, it pushed her closer to history. According to Polymarket Hoops, Citron is now on pace to become the first rookie in WNBA history to average 15+ points per game on 60% true shooting.

And that’s not all. The last time a player hit those marks was back in 1997, when Cynthia Cooper did it during the WNBA’s inaugural season. Nearly three decades later, Citron is suddenly knocking on that same door. No wonder fans are starting to take notice! What once felt like Paige Bueckers’ award is now turning into a real fight. The NCAA champion might not have such a clear path to Rookie of the Year after all.

“Paige still leads rookies in every pretty much major category and remains the favorite for rookie of the year,” Candace Parker had weighed in. “Could Sonia, in August, make things a little bit interesting? It’s going to be great.” And making things interesting, she is.

Social media has been filled with comparisons between the two rookies, and thanks to Citron’s recent surge, it feels like she might just be edging ahead right now. Let’s take a look at some of the fan reactions.

Fans react to the Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron ROTY Battle

“Can someone please explain why Sonia citron name is not being brought up in the rookie of the year race much ? Or is it for UConn privilege and Paige bueckers is the rookie of the year no matter what ?? At least let’s hear about a race just for excitement smh . 🚨🚨🔥🔥,” one fan said.

Yes, Sonia Citron is definitely a contender for the award. Why wouldn’t she be? She’s averaging 15 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. On top of that, she’s knocked down 54 threes this season at a sharp 39.4% shooting from beyond the arc. But is it really fair to say Paige doesn’t deserve to be in this conversation? Like one fan put it: “I get the Paige Beuckers hype but Sonia Citron is a 3 level scorer.” Absolutely not!

We are talking about a player who just became the fastest in WNBA history to reach 500+ points and 150+ assists. That’s not all! She is now 6th in the league for points (18.8) per game, 7th in the league for assists (5.4) per game, and tied 3rd in the league for steals (1.7) per game.

And did we forget about how she recently surpassed Caitlin Clark to create history? She became the fastest rookie ever to hit 450+ points, 100+ assists, and 100+ rebounds. How many games did she need? Just 25 games. That’s two fewer than Clark. Safe to say, Paige didn’t just set the bar… she raised it.

Backing that sentiment, WNBA analyst Terrika Foster-Brasby gave her own views about the ongoing debate on the We Need To Talk podcast. While giving Sonia Citron her flowers, Terrika made it clear where she stands in the ROTY race. She said, “Alright. So I’m gonna go ahead and say, I know that Sonia Citron is making it interesting, right? She’s had a really great six-game stretch. But Paige Bueckers should probably still be your unanimous choice.” But clearly, not everyone agrees.

“I’ve seen enough Sonia Citron is rookie of the year, let’s wrap this shit up, it may not be unanimous because the voters be on di-k and push agendas anyways but if this lady isn’t ROTY the @WNBA and @CathyEngelbert will continue to be a joke,” another declared.

The Rookie of the Year award isn’t about favoritism; it’s about the best overall performer. And right now, Paige has the edge. She’s putting up more points, assists, and steals than Sonia, while also leading her team in points, assists, steals, and blocks. That’s the definition of impact. Sure, critics might point out that the Wings are one of the worst teams this season (9-26), but then again, the Mystics don’t exactly have a winning record either(16-18) .

One fan even took it up a notch, saying: “food for thought: if Paige Bueckers + Caitlin Clark did not exist, people would be comparing Sonia Citron’s impact as a rookie to Candace Parker’s impact as a rookie. HOF’er in the making 😴⏳” Now that’s some massive praise.

Candace Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists as a rookie. Oh, and she’s still the only player ever to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. She also led the Sparks all the way to the conference finals the same year. While Citron is not on the same track, the Mystics couldn’t hide her impact, enough for Jade Melbourne to wonder “what she can do … next year and then five years down the track.”

Lastly, a fan said, “Sonia Citron & Paige Bueckers recreating the Melo & Bron ROTY debacle.” Now that’s an interesting comparison. When you talk about all-time Rookie of the Year battles in the NBA, your mind instantly goes to the 2003-04 season: LeBron James with Cleveland vs. Carmelo Anthony with Denver.

LeBron was only the third rookie in NBA history to average a 20-5-5 line, putting up 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Melo, on the other hand, dropped 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting more efficiently and leading the Nuggets to the playoffs. To this day, plenty of fans still argue that Melo should’ve gotten the nod over Bron.

Now, when you line up Paige vs. Sonia, it really does give off the vibe. No matter who ends up taking home Rookie of the Year, one side of the fanbase is going to feel let down, and this debate will always live on as a big “what if” in WNBA history. What do you think about this Rookie of the Year race?