Sonia Citron, the 21-year-old basketball phenom who just got drafted third overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has been turning heads not just for her game but for her relationship with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau. These two are the definition of a power couple, both rising through the ranks at Notre Dame before hitting it big in their respective pro leagues.
Citron, a 6’1″ shooting guard from White Plains, New York, averaged 14.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in her final season with the Fighting Irish, earning First-Team All-ACC honors and cementing her status as one of the top prospects in the draft. Meanwhile, Liufau, a 6’2″, 235-pound linebacker from Kalihi, Hawaii, was drafted 87th overall by the Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft after a standout college career that included 117 total tackles and a semifinalist nod for the Butkus Award.
Everything About Sonia Citron’s Relationship With Her Boyfriend, Marist Liufau
Their story started at Notre Dame, where they met as student-athletes dealing with the pressures of high-level college sports. Citron was a freshman when Liufau was a senior, and by January 2024, they were celebrating two years together, which Citron marked with an Instagram post captioned “Two with you.”
The couple has kept things relatively low-key, but their bond became impossible to ignore during the WNBA Draft on April 14, 2025, when Liufau showed up in New York to support Citron. The moment her name was called, cameras caught him wrapping her in a tight hug, his pride unmistakable. It was a rare public display for the private pair, and it instantly became one of the night’s most talked-about moments.
The draft wasn’t just about the hug, though. ESPN’s Holly Rowe couldn’t resist roasting Liufau during Citron’s post-pick interview, joking, “Your boyfriend Marist is here—for the record, you got drafted higher than he did in the NFL. So shout out to the girls…” Liufau took it in stride, laughing and clapping along, but the dig highlighted an interesting dynamic: Citron, the No. 3 pick in her draft, outshone Liufau, who went in the third round of his.
Still, there’s no rivalry here. Liufau’s rookie season with the Cowboys was solid—50 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 17 games—and he’s poised for an even bigger role in 2025 with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown still recovering from injury.
Citron, on the other hand, is stepping into a pivotal role with the Mystics, a team in transition after the retirement of Elena Della Donne. Her game is tailor-made for the WNBA: she shoots 37% from three, locks down defensively, and plays with a poise that belies her age. Her college resume is stacked—ACC Rookie of the Year in 2022, two First-Team All-ACC selections, and a reputation for coming up big in clutch moments, like her 29-point outburst against Michigan State. Now, she’s part of a young Mystics core that includes Shakira Austin and Aaliyah Edwards, and if her college career is any indication, she’ll be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.
Sonia Citron’s Boyfriend Marist Liufau Proves the Best Teammates Aren’t Always on the Same Team
What makes their relationship work is the mutual respect and shared understanding of the athlete’s grind. Liufau knows what it takes to perform under pressure, and Citron gets the sacrifices required to make it at the highest level. They’ve cheered each other on from the sidelines—Liufau at Citron’s games, Citron at his—and their social media hints at a relationship built on quiet support rather than flashy displays. When Liufau reposted Citron’s college stats with a goat emoji before the draft, it was a small but telling nod to how much he admires her game.
The future is bright for both of them. Citron is set to make her WNBA debut this season, and Liufau is looking to build on his rookie campaign with the Cowboys. They’re dealing with the challenges of long-distance—she’ll be in D.C., he’s in Dallas—but if their track record is anything to go by, they’ll handle it the same way they’ve handled everything else: with focus, determination, and a whole lot of love.
This isn’t just a sports romance; it’s a partnership between two elite athletes who happen to be each other’s biggest fans. And if the last few years are any indication, the best is yet to come.
