citron.jpg
Getty Images

Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron has been one of the most impressive WNBA rookies this season, but her performance doesn't come as a surprise to those who knew her at Notre Dame.

"Soni is a silent killer," Citron's college teammate, Cassandre Prosper, told CBS Sports. "This girl, you don't see anything flashy about her outside of the court. She's just very chill, very simple… She doesn't get bothered by anything. And I think when you get to the league, you gotta have that steadiness and consistency."

Citron has been a reliable two-way player since her time with the Fighting Irish. Not only did she make a statement on defense by locking down top players like JuJu Watkins, she also left Notre Dame as the only player in school history with 1,700 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists.

The steadiness Prosper highlighted has certainly helped Citron shine at the WNBA level. She is averaging 15.3 points per game with seven 20+ point games so far, and is shooting 46.9% from the field, including 41.4% from beyond the arc. Earlier this month, she broke the Mystics' rookie scoring record, which was previously held by Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw.

Citron was drafted No. 3 overall, but it took a while for WNBA fans to really start talking about her. One of her biggest supporters is Notre Dame guard KK Bransford, who has known Citron since they were roommates at the USA Trials when they were in high school.

"Soni is so underrated, in my opinion," Bransford said. "I thought she always was, even all the way back to USA. I mean, she was so underrated. She's not a super flashy player. Honestly, since she's been in the league she's become a little bit more flashy. But in college we had such a talented roster throughout our years, or her years being there, so I think she kind of always knew her role, and she played her role really well."

Citron showed her potential in college but perhaps didn't get as much of the spotlight because she often had to be a secondary option in a roster that included Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, who both have flashier offensive styles. The Hidalgo-Miles duo was often referred to as the best backcourt in the nation, but Citron helped on both sides of the court while doing all the little things that helped elevate her teammates. 

"She always had that potential, but I think a lot of people never noticed her because she does all the little things," Bransford said. "She does the little things that you don't see on the stat sheet, and I think that it's really paying off now in the WNBA because the WNBA is about the little things.

"… We've always believed in her, so I'm just glad that the world has kind of seen what we saw as well."

Citron is among the top WNBA Rookie of the Year candidates along with her Mystics teammate Kiki Iriafen. The preeminent favorite for the award, though, is Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers, who recently tied the WNBA rookie single game record with a 44-point performance.