Week 2 of the 2025 WNBA season saw several rookies take center stage and lead their teams to wins. So far, with just under 10 games played, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers and Washington Mystics rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron are the three leading candidates for Rookie of the Year. There’s still well over half of the season left, but the three players mentioned were top-four picks for a reason.
1.) Paige Bueckers, G - Dallas Wings
Week 2 line: 18 PPG, 5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.5 SPG, 2 BPG
46% on 2s, 33% on 3s, 87.5 FT% (2 games)
Season line: 14.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1 BPG
46.4% on 2s, 33.3% on 3s, 80.8 FT%
Wings rookie Paige Bueckers was Dallas’ second leading scorer behind franchise star Arike Ogunbowale in Week 2. In the team’s first win of the season, the UConn product had 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting, seven assists, and two stocks.
In the win over the Connecticut Sun, nine of Bueckers’ 10 shots were inside the arc, with five coming in the paint and three in the midrange.
Bueckers has found comfort inside the arc in just a handful of games. She leads rookies in paint scoring, averaging 55.6 percent on three attempts, which is eighth among guards overall.
Bueckers also leads her class in the midrange in percentage and attempts, averaging 39.4% on 5.5 per game. That’s good for second in the WNBA behind Lynx star Courtney Williams. Of her 9.3 attempts on twos, over half her shots are in this area of the floor.
It doesn’t stop there. On pullups, Bueckers is second behind Williams, averaging 40 percent on 6.7 attempts per game, which is second in the league. Funny enough, her running mate, Ogunbowale, is behind her for third.
Against the Chicago Sky on May 29, Bueckers collided with Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot. It wasn’t clear then that the rookie suffered a concussion since she played for most of the game afterwards. But before standing to her feet, Bueckers remained on the floor, covering her face after Vandersloot was called for the foul.
On May 30, the Wings placed the rookie guard in the WNBA’s concussion protocol. League policy dictates that Bueckers must miss at least two games. She missed the rematch against the Sky on May 31 and will be absent in Seattle against the Storm today.
How long Bueckers is sidelined depends on the severity of her concussion. As common as they are in sport, no treatment plan is the same. Symptoms ranging from dizziness, headaches, vomiting, balance issues, as well as a host of others, are hard enough to combat as a normal person. As a professional athlete, it’s just that much more difficult.
Bueckers played 36 minutes on the night, finishing with 15 points on 63 percent true shooting, five rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and three blocks. She became just the fourth guard since 2020 to collect at least three steals and blocks, according to Across The Timeline. Her eight assists generated over 20 percent (17 points) of Dallas’ 83 points.
There wasn’t a doubt that Bueckers’ talents would translate to the WNBA, but the speed at which she’s adjusted is remarkable. Not only is her scoring leading her class, but in six games, she’s tied for fourth in assists (40) and third in steals amongst guards (12). Her 40 assists have generated the fourth-most points (98) in the WNBA. The Wings certainly miss her production on both sides of the ball.
2.) Kiki Iriafen - F, Washington Mystics
Week 2 line: 14 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.5 SPG
40.7% on 2s, 100 FT% (6-for-6)
Season line: 13.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1 APG
47.4% on 2s, 83.3 FT%
Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen continues to excel in her first season in a post-driven league. In the win over the Indiana Fever, she totaled 16 points on 53.8 percent shooting and eight rebounds.
Like Bueckers, the talent is the talent, but the speed at which Iriafen is making her presence felt is exactly why the Mystics selected her. As the worst rebounding team in the league last year, they sit at fourth (36.4) in 2025, and Iriafen is a large reason why.
She leads rookies in rebounds per game (10.1) and has a +34 advantage in overall boards (71). On the offensive glass, she leads her class with 3.5 per game. Washington averages just 7.7 per game.
Iriafen’s versatility as a scorer was well-known throughout her collegiate career. In seven games, her profile has quickly taken form, especially in the paint.
As a rookie, Iriafen has struck gold at the rim, shooting 68.6 percent. Of players attempting at least four shots per game, the 6’3’’ forward is third in the WNBA behind Indiana Fever duo Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard.
Iriafen is showing improvement with her jumper in the midrange, shooting 37.5 percent on 3.5 attempts per game. Her shots come within the flow of the offense, which isn’t necessarily a trend with rookies to start their careers. Whether she makes or misses them, the confidence to take the shot is there.
Against the defending champion New York Liberty, Iriafen had her worst shooting performance of the season to date, finishing 4-for-14 from the field. Going up against one of the best 1-2 punches in the WNBA in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, Iriafen struggled as most young players would.
But she never wavered, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, 2 assists, and a season-high two steals. Her impact may not have been felt in the paint, but it was in other areas. For a rookie, that’s all you can ask for on a developing path.
3.) Kitjia Laksa - F, Phoenix Mercury
Week 2 line: 11.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.7 APG
55.6 FG%, 45.5 3PT%, 83.3 FT%
Season line: 8.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.5 APG
54.5% on 2s, 41.7% on 3s, 83.3 FT%
The Phoenix Mercury are battling a rash of injuries at the moment. Before the season started, the team was without the services of starters Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack. All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas has missed the last two games and will miss her third straight against the Minnesota Lynx tonight with a left calf injury.
In recent years, the Mercury have battled injuries to start the season and struggled to regain momentum throughout it. But 2025 is a different beast, where depth has been a strength for the team. One of the key players of said depth has been Latvian forward Kitjia Laska.
With Thomas sidelined, Laska was inserted into the starting lineup after the win over the Chicago Sky, setting a career-high of 18 points on an 80.4 true shooting clip.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbets isn’t shy about his fondness for three-pointers. Thomas and Satou Sabally require adequate spacing around them, and Laska fits the bill from beyond the arc. She spent the 2024-25 season playing with Familia Schio, shooting 38.8 percent of her 160 attempts from deep.. In EuroLeague play, she made 37 of her 96 3-point attempts (38.5%).
Laska is third on the team in three-pointers and volume, shooting 41.7 percent on 4 attempts per game. Laska only averages 5.8 overall shot attempts per game, so you know where the meat and potatoes of her skill set on offense are.
4.) Sonia Citron, G - Washington Mystics
Week 2 line: 11.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG
36 FG%, 22.2 3PT%, 100 FT% (3-for-3)
Season line: 14.3 PPG, 4 RPG, 2 APG
52.4% on 2s, 40% on 3s, 90.9 FT%
In last week’s Rookie Report, it was noted that a part of rookie guard Sonia Citron’s early success could be attributed to the young season and defenses not scouting her game specifically. With more game film available, teams have begun to press her at the point of attack and deny her the ball more frequently.
While it may have been a down week for Citron, the Mystics had matchups with the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever, who are first and third in defensive rating. Despite the tough opponents, Citron delivered in the win over Indiana with 13 points and 5-for-12 shooting, and seven rebounds.
When Citron’s shot wasn’t falling early, she still made herself readily available on the defensive end and helped run the offense until it did. Moments in games like these show her maturity level for a rookie and only spell great things to come as far as mentality on the court. Winners win, and Citron has proven that she’ll do whatever it takes to do so.