WNBA Draft: Sonia Citron goes No. 3 overall, two other Notre Dame players picked
Hard to believe it had been half a dozen years since a Notre Dame women’s basketball player was selected in the top five picks of the WNBA Draft, but that drought was broken Monday night by Sonia Citron. The former Fighting Irish guard went No. 3 overall to the Washington Mystics.
Citron is the eighth former Notre Dame player to be selected in the top five. She joins the following list.
No. 1: Jewell Loyd (2015)
No. 1: Jackie Young (2019)
No. 3: Devereaux Peters (2012)
No. 3: Skylar Diggins-Smith (2013)
No. 3: Kayla McBride (2014)
No. 3: Sonia Citron (2025)
No. 5: Ruth Riley (2001)
No. 5: Arike Ogunbowale (2019)
Citron, a 6-1 guard, is the 21st player in Notre Dame history to hear her name in the WNBA Draft. She just completed an Irish career in which she played in 124 games with 107 starts. She averaged 14.3 points per game with a season-high total of 17.3 in that category as a junior.
Citron always gave so much more to Notre Dame than sharpshooting, though. She was the Irish’s best man-up defensive player at the guard position every year she was on campus including her freshman campaign.
“Sonia Citron is an all-around player,” ESPN’s Andraya Carter said on the draft broadcast. “She affects every area of the game. It’s not just her points. It’s her defensive activity. It’s her ability to guard multiple positions on that end of the floor. It’s her decision-making. Her high basketball IQ.”
The draft was held in Manhattan, New York. Citron is an Eastchester, New York, native. She was in attendance at The Shed at Hudson Yards. She’s dating former Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau, who plays for the Dallas Cowboys and was picked in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft just under a year ago. Liufau was also present at the draft ceremony.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Jaydn Ott
Top transfer RB signs with OU
- 2Hot
Potential landing spots
For Nico Iamaleava
- 3Trending
Mel Kiper
3-Round Mock Draft
- 4
Marcus Freeman
Reacts to Nico Iamaleava
- 5
Brian Kelly reflects
On Kyren Lacy
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I think what makes it so special is I get to do it in front of my friends and family since I am from here,” Citron said. “I wouldn’t be here without them. I’m just happy I get to share this moment with them.”
Maddy Westbeld goes No. 16 overall to Chicago
Also for the first time since 2019, Notre Dame had multiple players picked in the same draft. The Chicago Sky took Maddy Westbeld with the No. 16 overall pick.
A 6-3 forward who spent five seasons in South Bend, Westbeld was the ACC Rookie of the Year all the way back in 2020-21. Her longevity put her in the top 10 of several career categories in all-time Notre Dame history, including ranking third in starts with 138. She averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 141 career appearances.
Liatu King goes No. 28 overall to Los Angeles
King played her first four seasons at Pitt. In her lone year at Notre Dame, the 6-0 forward averaged 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. That was down from the 18.7 points she put up as a Panther in 2023-24, but she was still a double-double machine on an Irish team that wasn’t built to give offensive looks to post players.
King also shot a career-best 56.3 percent from the field this past season, starting in 33 of 34 Irish games. She missed one with a head injury, coming back to play most of the rest of the season in a protective face shield.
