The Mystics Usher In A New Era In The 2025 WNBA Draft (4-21-25)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Washington Mystics
NEW YORK, NY – On Monday evening at The Shed in New York City, the WNBA held its 2025 Draft ushering in a new class of talent set to join the league starting as early as next month when the new season begins. For the Washington Mystics, who held three of the top six picks, it meant potentially selecting new players who can impact the franchise for years.
Let’s recap who the Mystics selected in this year’s draft….
1st Round:
● #3 Overall – Sonia Citron (Notre Dame): Citron is coming off a season where the senior guard averaged 14.1 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.9 steals; shooting 48.4 % from the floor, 37.2 % behind the arc, and 89% at the line. She is a well-rounded versatile player who can come in and make an immediate impact on both sides of the floor. Her 6′ 1″ frame allows her to play at an elite level on the defensive end, enabling her to switch and guard multiple positions. Expect her to provide a consistent presence night in and out. Switching over to the offensive side, she averaged double figures in the scoring department in all four of her years playing with the Irish. She has a nice stroke from behind the arc and plays well off the ball as a catch-and-shoot player. However, she has displayed her ability to create scoring opportunities down the lane and set up her teammates for open shots. When she adjusts to the physicality of the W, I believe she can translate into a dynamic two-way player for the Mystics.
● #4 Overall- Kiki Iriafen (USC): USC’s dominance this season was not only a product because of star guard Juju Watkins but Iriafen’s impact as well. In 2023, she averaged a double-double per game, scoring 19.4 points per game and grabbing 11 rebounds. This past season, she chipped in 18 points per game, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and shot a career-best 81.1 % from the free-throw line. Her 1-2 punch with Watkins was dominant and can translate well into the pros. She played the pick-and-roll well, setting good hard screens and having a good understanding of how the defenses played allowing her to slip in the perfect situations for easy baskets down low. She provides a great presence inside the paint on both ends, finishing with a nice touch underneath the rim, while using her high motor to attack the glass, and also impact shots. The Mystics have a lot of depth at the forward/center position with the likes of Aaliyah Edwards, Emily Engstler, Sika Kone, Shakira Austin, and Stefanie Dolson. In that case, she’ll be in a competitive room that will help her develop her skills and gain knowledge.
● #6 Overall Georgia Amoore (Kentucky): Amoore is a familiar face to the DMV area. She spent four years (2020-2024) at Virginia Tech, before using her last year of eligibility to transfer to Kentucky. Amoore, a 5’6″ point guard, led the Hookies to its first ACC Championship Title and NCAA Final Four Appearance in 2023. This year with the Wildcats she averaged a career-high in points per game (19.6), assists (6.9), and field goal percentage (.493). She was also named to the second-team All-American, and first-team All-SEC after leading Kentucky to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The main concern regarding Amoore was due to her size, but she is an elite offensive playmaker who can score inside and out, excelling at creating space for herself off the dribble. She also is an aggressive defender not letting her size dictate her effort and approach. Look for her to be a key piece for the Mystics for years to come.
2nd Round:
● #23 Overall Lucy Olsen (Iowa): A sneaky great pickup for Washington, Olsen spent her first three years at Villanova before transferring to Iowa for her senior campaign. The 5’10” guard did not disappoint in 2024, she led the Buckeyes scoring 17.9 points per game to go along with 5.1 assists per game, 1.3 steals a game, and shooting a career-best 36% from three. Olsen is an excellent scorer, who has a nice handle excelling at creating shots for herself inside or outside, and has great footwork that allows her to make tough shots. She knows how to operate an offense and adjust on the fly, her playmaking ability is a nice addition to her game that is underrated, she is great at finding her teammates in sets but also on the fast break. She is a great committed defender that you know will bring her best every game. Olsen being a second-round pick means she will have to fight for a roster spot, but I fully expect her to be on the roster opening day and think she has a bright future ahead of her in the WNBA.
3rd Round:
● #32 Overall Zaay Green (Alabama): Another talented guard for Washington to add to their guard room that needed some additions after seeing some players move on in the off-season. The 25-year-old 6’2″ guard provides a lot of size and length in the backcourt for Washington. She’s a physical player on both sides of the ball who has a tenacious eye for the ball and is a speedy player with and without the ball in her hands. Green averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and one steal this past season with the Crimson Tide. She also led Alabama by scoring a total of 519 points. Like Olson, Green will have to fight for a spot on the roster, she’s a talented player who can do the little things for your team. Her experience playing against Power Four schools for nearly her entire collegiate career bolds well for the competitive edge against the WNBA. She’s another player deserving of a spot on the Mystics roster and has a lot to prove and provide.
This draft class was a huge step into the future outlook of basketball in the Nation’s Capital. There are not too many hefty expectations on the team this year, as they enter a retooling type of year, seeing many familiar faces exit the franchise and now look towards the younger talent filling in to take the reins. The talent and potential in this class are high and we look forward to seeing them in action next month.
