Sonia Citron’s Parents Have Some Experience With College Basketball

It turns out that basketball may run in the family for Sonia Citron. Basketball has always been in the Notre Dame star’s blood, and it’s on display now more than ever as she makes her way into the 2025 WNBA Draft. In basketball and beyond, it was Sonia Citron’s parents and their backgrounds that formed Citron into the powerful women she is today — both on and off the court.

At just 21 years old, Citron has proved herself a powerhouse on the court. Playing basketball all through middle school and high school (she was varsity in eighth grade), Citron continues to achieve greatness in her basketball career. She has served as a guard for Notre Dame since her freshman year, making 2025 her fourth year with the team. Except, that’s not all 2025 has to mark — Citron is also a top contender for the 2025 WNBA Draft, and it’s pretty clear why. Thanks to the environment her parents fostered (and the help of her father’s past experience playing college basketball), Citron has been able to grow in her successes.

Beginning her basketball career in second grade, it was Citron’s father, William Citron, who instilled everything he learned from his college basketball career into his daughter. Playing for Bradley University, William was no stranger to competition and coaching. With her father’s help, Citron was able to only excel within the sport, inspired by her dad’s passion for the game. And it wasn’t just her dad who brought his past knowledge of the sport to Citron — her older brother, William Jr. (Will), played soccer at both Cornell and UVA.“We’re both super competitive,” Will Citron shared in a 2024 interview with Essentially Sports. “I’d never go easy on her. Now it’s crazy to see her having these amazing games, and even beating me sometimes!”

 Despite not having a past in basketball, Citron’s mother, Yolanda Citron, had an equally-important role in her daughter’s excelling nature in the sport. Where Citron’s father took on a more coaching role, her mother became her cheerleader, dedicated to building up her confidence. While navigating high school, Citron was consistent in gaining her team 25 points — but when it came to playing, she was always looking to hand off the ball to teammates. That’s when Yolanda Citron stepped in to get her daughter more comfortable with being with the ball. “Her high school coach always told her, Sonia, you’re unselfish, but to a fault,” Yolanda Citron said in a 2024 interview with Betting Odds. “I remember one game, she told her, ‘Today I really need you to be selfish and take more shots.’”

It’s safe to say Citron’s selfishness in the game paid off.

• culture
• entertainment
• HC Athletic Club
• sports