Welcome to WNBA, Rookie Sonia Citron FLATTENED by 6’9 Brittney Griner after hitting a 3!

Ex-Notre Dame star Sonia Citron encounters ‘welcome to WNBA’ moment from Brittney Griner

Rookie Sonia Citron got her “welcome to the WNBA” moment after running into a hard Brittney Griner screen in the Washington Mystics’ preseason game vs. the Atlanta Dream

The result? A collision that could’ve registered on the Richter scale. Citron crumpled to the hardwood, clearly rattled and momentarily winded. Teammates and officials paused as she laid there, blinking through the haze of what just hit her.

Griner, showing the sportsmanship that’s defined her veteran career, immediately reached out to help Citron up — an unspoken “welcome to the league” that every rookie experiences in one way or another.

🫢 Welcome to WNBA, Rookie Sonia Citron FLATTENED by 6'9 Brittney Griner after hitting a 3!

Citron, to her credit, took a few moments, gathered herself, and kept it moving — earning respect in the process.

Screens are one of the more underestimated growing pains when making the jump from college to the WNBA. They come faster, harder, and from bigger bodies. And in Griner’s case, a much bigger body. Her screen wasn’t dirty — just immovable. A reality check, like a sudden gust of wind that reminds you the game is very different up here.

Citron now joins a growing club of rookies whose league welcome has come in the form of a bruising screen.

Caitlin Clark famously met her match when Breanna Stewart laid her out earlier this season, drawing memes, nicknames, and sympathy from fans everywhere. One user on X joked: “Sometimes you just gotta lay there for a minute.”

Another dubbed Clark and Citron the “Starfish Twins” because they both ended up splayed out on the court in a similar fashion.

But to the pros, this isn’t embarrassing — it’s a rite of passage. Learning to navigate screens, develop court awareness, and lean on teammates for vocal help is all part of adapting to the WNBA’s speed and IQ. For Citron, Wednesday’s run-in might sting physically, but it will help her long-term development.

At Notre Dame, Citron quickly became a standout, securing the ACC Rookie of the Year award in her freshman year and earning multiple All-ACC selections throughout her collegiate career.

Over four seasons, she amassed over 1,700 points, 700 rebounds, and 300 assists, showcasing her versatility and leadership on the court. Her stellar performance led to her being selected third overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2025 WNBA Draft, marking her as one of the top prospects entering the league this year.

Brittney Griner did what veterans do — she set a hard, clean screen and offered a hand afterward. Sonia Citron did what future stars do — she got back up and kept playing.

And just like that, her WNBA journey truly began.