Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will be playing for the United States in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. This will be the second consecutive World Cup where a Mystics player has made the American roster, after Shakira Austin did in 2022.
Before the announcement came in last Monday, I anticipated that both would benefit from a longer rest period before the final regular season stretch and the playoffs. However, I also feel that both Citron and Iriafen can have things both ways.
They can rest and develop with the other players on Team USA, possibly winning a medal along the way.
Why will Citron and Iriafen get some rest?
First, it’s because they simply aren’t going to be playig the kinds of minutes they do for Washignton. Citron is averaging 33.2 minutes per game while Iriafen is averaging 28.4. Given that both are injury replacements, it isn’t realistic that both will be playing significant loads of minutes. They will likely spend most of their time on the bench, getting in some spot minutes to spell players like Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Breanna Stewart or Aliyah Boston. If games get out of hand (hopefully, because Team USA built a big lead), then they may see some extended time.
And I’m fine with that. Why? Both Citron and Iriafen may not play much during the elimination stages. And again, they are individual replacements.
Now, how do the two Mystics sophomores develop?
This is where it all comes down to the little things. Citron and Iriafen will train with the national team, develop relationships with more of the established stars on the national team. They will get to work directly with Head Coach Kara Lawson, her coaching staff which includes rising coaches like Golden State Valkyries head ocahc Natalie Nakase and more.
Once the World Cup ends, hopefully with a Gold Medal in hand, Citron and Iriafen will return to Washington. They will return wiser and with fresher legs than the stars on other national teams. That experience can very well pay off once the final stretch of the regular and the postseason begin.
