The arena at the University of Texas-Arlington was mostly full, totally loud. So was the case at CareFirst Arena. After all, it was the rookie day, and the energy was off the charts. But in this packed rookie class, all eyes had been on one name: Paige Bueckers. The shiny No. 1 pick. The “she’s got it in the bag” Rookie of the Year front-runner. Well…one game in, and the fanbase has already started switching lanes. 

The Wings’ prized rookie wasted no time, opening the scoring with a sweet crossover, driving into the lane, missing the runner, grabbing her own board, and putting it right back in. Hustle points right out of the gate. She ended the first quarter with four points as the Wings held a narrow 21-19 lead over the Lynx.

A foul-filled first half saw Bueckers pick up one while trying to guard Napheesa Collier in the post. Still, it was all tied up at 46-46 at halftime on opening night. But then came the third quarter – and Collier went full beast mode. After dropping 14 in the first half, she added a massive 18 points in the third quarter alone, leading the Lynx to a dominant 35-20 run.

 That gave Minnesota full control heading into the fourth, with an 81-66 lead. Eventually, the Lynx cruised to a 99-84 win at the College Park Center, riding the momentum of that explosive third quarter. Bueckers finished her first regular-season game with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, missing both her 3-point attempts. She added seven rebounds, two assists, a block, and two turnovers.

Meanwhile, in DC, the Washington Mystics put their first ‘W’ in the books – without Shakira Austin, Georgia Amoore, or Aaliyah Edwards. The short-handed squad pulled off a 94-90 win over the Atlanta Dream. Brittney Sykes led the charge with 22 points, shooting 6-of-20 from the field and 1-of-6 from three. 

But it was the rookies who really showed out. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen added 19 and 14 points respectively in their debuts. With just 1:20 left, the Mystics clung to an 88-86 lead after Atlanta’s Allisha Gray converted a three-point play. Sykes responded with two clutch free throws, but a bucket from Brionna Jones and a pull-up jumper from Brittney Griner tied it at 90-90 with 34 seconds left. 

Then came the final blow…Washington went on a 4-0 run, including two ice-cold free throws from Citron to seal the deal. Citron poured in 15 of her 19 after halftime, stepping up exactly when the team needed her most. 

Well, this outing has resulted in fans already reshuffling their Rookie of the Year picks. Citron’s calm under pressure might’ve just turned some casuals into believers.

Is Sonia outshining Paige Bueckers already?

Internet was filled with calls of “ROY!” and they weren’t all talking about Paige Bueckers. One fan boldly claimed after Citron’s big debut, “Great debut! My prediction for ROTY. I know it’s too early, but I’m putting it on the record.” Last year, the Rookie of the Year race was a one-woman show. This time around, from the jump, everyone’s known it’s going to be a battle. The advantage here for Cutron? The Mystics are working with limited experience at the guard spot—Brittney Sykes being the lone veteran. So naturally, that opens the door wide for a rookie to take the reins. And if her debut was any indication, she’s already driving. 

Sure, it’s just one game, and we’re not here to crown anyone after 24 minutes of action, but not to foget Citron also had 15 points in 22 minutes during the preseason game, too. Another fan even dropped a spicy take, “Citron just did what everyone was expecting Paige to do. ROTY.” Bueckers came in with expectations the size of Caitlin Clark’s shadow. After that preseason 15-point game, fans were hopeful. But her regular-season debut was… fine. Not bad, but not the game-changer moment folks expected. Of course, she faced a tough Lynx squad, and that wasn’t exactly a hyped matchup. Everyone kind of knew Minnesota was gonna come out on top. 

So while the pressure’s still on for Bueckers to deliver that viral debut moment, Citron may have snuck in and stolen the early spotlight. Another chimed in, “Best rook debut game so far this year.” Five rookies made their debut, and while Paige and JJ Quinerly did their thing in Dallas, it was the Mystics’ rookies who lit it up.  But Citron topped them all. There’s no telling if she’ll ride this momentum all season, but against Atlanta, nothing felt forced. She just hooped. On both ends. An insanely efficient 6-for-7 shooting in just 24 minutes.

Someone else brought the receipts, saying, “Citron is gonna be a good player for a really long time—I have no doubt about that.”  Citron had a loaded college resume: 14.1 points 5.4 rebound  2.7 assists per game in her senior year, with a career-best 51 threes. She balled out at Notre Dame, even while sharing the court with backcourt star duo Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles. 

Plus, historically, Notre Dame guards taken in the top three of the draft have thrived in the W. So expectations are rightfully sky-high. And then someone added, “Better than Paige,” one fan said, plain and simple. Sure, we’re not writing off Bueckers just yet. But the debut game hype indeed Citron has won.

All in all, one thing’s for sure, this season’s rookie class isn’t playing around. We’ve got more than one serious contender for that crown. Let the rookie takeover begin!