This week, The Ringer put out a ranking of the WNBA’s top 25 players under 25, and the list was built on production, not projection. It was a snapshot of the league right now, with younger players already carrying real minutes, real responsibility and, in some cases, real winning value.
That is why Sonia Citron’s name lands in the conversation now. The ranking is searching for players already affecting games, not just the ones with the cleanest long-term upside, and the league’s youth movement gives it enough material to make that argument. The same framing also explains why the list has become a talking point beyond one player: the WNBA is brimming with young talent, rookies are arriving ready to play, and second- and third-round picks are contributing to contenders.
Among the names the ranking highlights, Saniya Rivers stands out for what her season has been and what it has not. Rivers, 21 years and 92 days old, had a promising rookie year that showed off her shooting touch and athleticism on defense, but her second year brought drop-offs in almost every statistical category. In 2026, she averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2 rebounds while shooting 31 percent from the field, 14 percent from 3-point range and 70 percent at the line. Her 6.4 PER and minus-0.6 win shares reflect how much harder that follow-up season has been.
There is still a path back to impact for Rivers, and it runs through space. She needs room to thrive, and the return of Leila Lacan from Europe would help the Sun by letting Rivers play off the ball again, where cuts and open looks can do more of the work for her. That kind of fit matters in a ranking built on current production, because it separates a player’s raw tools from the circumstances that let those tools show up every night.
Aubrey Chen offers the other side of the same story. Chen, 24 years and 102 days old, was selected by the Valkyries in their inaugural draft last year after being plucked from Princeton by Geno Auriemma in her final college season, and her game has translated quickly. In 2026, she posted 7.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists with a 49/64/85 shooting line, a 16.8 PER and 0.6 win shares, the profile of a ball mover who defends soundly and shoots reliably.
The broader message from the ranking is hard to miss. More than a quarter of the list is made up of international players, and France alone could field its own starting lineup from the group, which says as much about the league’s present as its future. The one gap left open by the list is the full order itself, which was discussed on The Ringer WNBA Show earlier this week and leaves readers waiting to see where the rest of the under-25 field landed.
