WASHINGTON — Mystics rookie Sonia Citron thinks her former Notre Dame teammate, Sky forward Maddy Westbeld, is underrated.
The pair helped lead the Irish to a Sweet 16 appearance this spring, then went No. 3 and No. 16 in the WNBA Draft. Citron landed in Washington. Westbeld in Chicago.
To Citron, Westbeld is a post with guard skills — too agile for bigs, too strong for guards. She called her pull-up jumper “killer” and her post game “fabulous.”
The two spent enough time together at Notre Dame to influence each other — on and off the court.
“She’s such a peaceful person,” Citron told the Sun-Times. “And she exudes that when you’re with her.”
Westbeld has quietly carved out a role in the Sky’s rotation, thanks to a mix of injuries and her habit of always being the last one in the gym.
“My focus whenever I come onto the floor is doing the little things,” Westbeld told the Sun-Times. “But once I get more comfortable within the flow, [I’ll] start to bring all of me to the table again.”
Since the All-Star break, she’s averaging 21.5 minutes and 4.5 points per game.
Citron, meanwhile, has been a fixture of the Mystics’ attack since opening night, exceeding their own expectations for the No. 3 pick. Westbeld said she’s glad people are starting to notice how dangerous Citron is off the ball.
“In college it was a little bit like, ‘Oh well, you had Olivia Miles to throw her the ball,’ so it took credit away from her,” Westbeld said. “But at this level, you can see the talent that it takes.”
Citron was one of three rookies named to the All-Star team. She’s averaging 13.6 points per game and shooting 35% from three.
The Sky passed on a chance to draft her, trading the No. 3 pick to the Mystics in exchange for veteran guard Ariel Atkins.
A point guard awaits
The Sky have a healthy, experienced point guard on the roster — but they’ll have to wait until Friday for her to suit up.
Sevgi Uzun was in her home country of Turkey when she agreed to a rest-of-season contract with the Sky. She’s expected to meet the team in Chicago ahead of Friday’s game against the Valkyries.
Uzun played in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament in June, helping Turkey to a seventh-place finish while averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. She made her WNBA debut in 2024 with the Wings and began this season with the Mercury before being waived after seven games.
“She’s got a lot of international experience and a couple years of W experience, so she knows the pressure that comes with it,” Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. “She knows the void that she can fill.”
The Sky haven’t had a true point guard since Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL in early June. They’ve relied on shooting guard Rachel Banham to run the offense, but Marsh is eager to shift her back to her more natural role off the ball.
“It’s gonna be good to have another ballhandler that can handle pressure,” Marsh said.
Atkins update
Atkins, the Sky’s leading scorer, did not travel with the team to Washington. Marsh said she’s progressing and remains “day-to-day.” The Sky have not won a game without her.