‘Exhausted’ Sonia Citron Sums Up 4OT Marathon Against Portland: “I Don’t Think Any of Us Wanted to Play Another Overtime”

Starting guard Sonia Citron has become the Washington Mystics' most important player over the past two seasons.

‘Exhausted’ Sonia Citron Sums Up 4OT Marathon Against Portland: “I Don’t Think Any of Us Wanted to Play Another Overtime”

Sonia Citron played 53 minutes in the 4OT thriller (Image via FirstSportz)

Sonia Citron and her Washington Mystics have not had it easy in their development as one of the WNBA’s younger teams. Last season, the roster was a breath of fresh air, but with that comes increased expectations.

The team has progressed along the same thought process of building around their young core. Last season, they had a couple of veterans.

This year, the oldest player on the team is 26-year-old Michaela Onyenwere. That means the franchise wants to stick to the plan of building with a young team that can bring them success in the future.

So far, the recipe has seen them win close games against playoff teams. Then also lost some close ones they could have won, and also lost some that were straight off embarrassing.

Sonia Citron and her teammates experienced the latter in their previous game against the Connecticut Sun. Scoring just 57 points in 40 minutes is not the definition of a team on the rise.

But then again, rebounding by scoring 124 points in the very next game was not something everyone saw coming. In fact, the guard and her teammates going four overtime sessions was again not on anyone’s bingo card.

I don’t think any of us on either team wanted to play another overtime.

Sonia Citron told Monumental Sports Network

This was the response when asked what it meant for the 22-year-old to finish off the marathon with her game-winner. From her shaky answer, it was evident that the Notre Dame alum was thankful that the game was finally over.

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Sonia Citron sealed the deal in the fourth overtime session

When Sonia Citron was coming out of college, several draft analysts felt that she might be a stretch to be selected in the lottery. But the Washington Mystics knew what she brought to the table, even though it was not on full display at Notre Dame.

There, she played third fiddle to superstar guards Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. But in DC, the White Plains native was asked to be the team’s primary scorer and defender. She obliged and notched her first All-Star call last season.

This time, it is pretty clear by now that her name will be in the running again. There is a reason why USA Basketball sees her as a part of their future core. That is also why, in this game, head coach Sydney Johnson asked her to step up when the Portland Fire refused to go away.

After scoring 21 points in regulation, the 6’1″ guard stepped up, scoring another 11 points in 20 minutes, along with three rebounds and two assists.

But her most important play came at the end of the fourth overtime session. Despite being visibly exhausted, last year’s third-overall pick first assisted Michaela Onyenwere to help her team tie.

Then, after missing a 25-foot step-back three-pointer, she did not lose focus. She made a driving layup to send her team up by two. After the Fire tied the game again, Sonia Citron made another layup to give her team the lead for good.

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Sonia Citron and her Mystics could be an outside bet for the playoffs

The Portland Fire made their debut this season as the 15th team in the WNBA. Despite the expansion, the league has not increased the number of playoff berths yet.

The Mystics are a playoff dark horse
The Mystics are a playoff dark horse (Image via Mystics/X)

Maybe they will when the next three teams join by 2030. By then, the league will have 18 teams, which means the league will have to allow a couple of more spots at the least.

But the Mystics cannot wait that long to be a contender, which is why they are battling until their bodies collapse to ensure every game is within fighting distance.

That attitude is what has helped them win quite a few close games. It could also indicate that the team is on the verge of being the dark horse this year.

Sure, there are talented and experienced teams waiting to overtake the Mystics this year. However, if Sonia Citron and her teammates manage to continue this effort, the top teams in the WNBA might need to send additional scouts to find their weakness.

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