What would you have said if someone told the Mystics’ rookie duo back in April that they’d become the first pair of rookie teammates since 1999 to be named All-Stars? “I would have laughed at you,” Iriafen giggled, raising her eyebrows. And standing alongside her, Citron too shook her head, adding, “Like, you’ve got to be crazy….I’d say, ‘What kind of prank is that?’ Definitely would not believe it.” But fast-forward a few months, and what once felt like a prank is now a proud reality. So, what were their first reactions to the big news? Not the usual ones you might expect!

Generally, the process after a player is selected as an All-Star involves a call from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. That’s how it went for Kiki Iriafen. But for Citron, the moment came with a twist; it took a while for her to even realize what was going on. Hear from the rookie sensation herself. “Before our game against Minnesota, last week maybe, I was checking my phone like an hour before the game, just a quick check. I saw that Gabby Williams had followed and DM’d me,” she shared during the July 10 episode of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

“And I was like, oh, this is super random because, you know, I’ve never met her, never talked to her. And then I looked at her DM, and it was a screenshot of a voicemail from Cathy to her. And in the DM, she was like, ‘Hey, I got a call from Cathy—she thought this number was yours. I hope this isn’t how you found out, but congrats.”

Yes, you read that right. Cathy Engelbert accidentally called Gabby Williams, thinking it was Citron’s number, and left the voicemail with the All-Star news. So, while Citron was still trying to make sense of the situation, it wasn’t until she read the transcript of that voicemail that she realized she’d been named a 2025 All-Star.

And yes, it was a surreal moment for her, especially since the WNBA has moved away from its traditional East vs. West format and now lets fan-voted captains draft their teams, making every selection that much more meaningful. Still, for Citron, the timing couldn’t have been more distracting as the Mystics were about to face one of the top teams in the league, the 15-2 Minnesota Lynx.

“So I was like, okay, I can’t worry about this right now,” she said. “But obviously, that’s a hard thing to just get out of your mind. So, it was definitely a distraction.” And it showed a bit in her performance too, as Citron, averaging 14.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, was held to just 7 points and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes of gameplay. Still, given the circumstances and the pressure of facing an elite team, she gave everything she had. And once her team duties were over, she was finally able to process it all.

“I talked to my GM… and that’s when she told me like, yes, it’s true. Congrats and all that,” Citron shared. And that’s how the former Notre Dame standout officially found out she’d been named an All-Star for the first time ever, joining Paige Bueckers and her own teammate Kiki Iriafen as the only three rookies to make the All-Star Game since 2011. But if you think the story ends there, it doesn’t.

Unplanned call, but Mystics locker room is there to make it memorable for all!

Right after the July 6th practice ahead of their game against the Chicago Sky, the Mystics mobbed their rookies as a celebratory cake was wheeled onto the court. That’s how the third and fourth overall picks in April’s draft were honored for becoming the first pair of rookies to be named All-Stars since 1999.

Though they’re among the only rookies selected, alongside Paige Bueckers, they made it as All-Star reserves alongside Skylar Diggins-Smith, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Mitchell, Angel Reese, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas, Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Jackie Young, and Courtney Williams. And yes, they absolutely earned the recognition they received from the league’s 13 coaches.

“They’re competitive, they work really hard, they compete, and they’re really smart,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said of his rookie duo, despite not having a say in the voting process. “And so just that combination has fit perfectly well with how we try to play and the players we want to attract here. You could see that the future was bright, but you just didn’t know it was going to happen so quickly.”

And he’s right. Both Citron and Iriafen have started every game this season. That alone might not sound like a big deal, but their production on the court certainly is. Citron ranks second among rookies in scoring with 14.6 points per game, third in rebounding with 4.9 boards per game, and sixth in field goal percentage. If that’s not impressive enough, just consider she’s also the only rookie this season with multiple games of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, and the first rookie in Mystics history to record at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game.

But she’s not carrying the team alone. Kiki Iriafen has been equally dominant, tied for fourth in the league in rebounding, third among rookies in scoring, and the second rookie in the WNBA this season with five double-doubles. “[I was] not really feeling confident in myself coming to this level,” Iriafen admitted. “So to have success early, it was definitely something that I was proud of myself for overcoming. But seeing myself now and being an All-Star—it doesn’t even sound real coming out of my mouth.”

And now, with just eight days to go until the big game, it’s time to shine!