March 8, 2025
Locked On Women’s Basketball: Why Sonia Citron and Te-Hina Paopao can be Day 1 WNBA contributors
By The Next
Lincoln Shafer on Citron: 'She just does a whole lot of things that good basketball teams need'
In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, Hunter Cruse, Emily Adler and Lincoln Shafer discuss what Notre Dame senior Sonia Citron and South Carolina senior Te-Hina Paopao bring as WNBA prospects. Both players could be selected in the top 10 of the 2025 WNBA Draft, Cruse says, but Citron is likely to be picked higher.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
As a 6’1 guard, Citron is averaging 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. She is also shooting 49.5% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range. The hosts project her as becoming an average or better starter in the WNBA. Shafer breaks down what he thinks Citron can be as a pro:
“I really enjoy Sonia Citron as a basketball player and as a prospect. She has shown this year that the scalability is very real with her. She can be your second option on a good team. She can be your third option. She can lock in defensively. She can play on the ball and off the ball. She just does a whole lot of things that good basketball teams need. She kind of just plugs in as a fourth starter on a good team for any style of team, because everybody needs a wing defender that can shoot and playmake a little bit.”
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
As a junior, Paopao led Division I by shooting 46.8% from 3-point range on 5.0 attempts per game. This season, the 5’9 guard is shooting 38.5% and averaging 10.1 points, 3.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. The hosts project her as becoming an average or better rotation player in the WNBA. Adler makes her pitch for the value Paopao will bring:
“The pitch is, among very clear W-level prospects, she is one of the best shooters in draft history, while also being an excellent pick-and-roll lead guard, having a very good in-between game and being, thanks to [South Carolina head coach] Dawn Staley, a highly competent defender. … And she’s also insanely consistent.”
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
