| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Sonia Citron |
| Date of Birth | July 22, 2003 |
| Age | 21 (as of 2025) |
| Hometown | Ossining, New York, USA |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Position | Shooting Guard |
| College | University of Notre Dame |
| WNBA Team | Washington Mystics |
| WNBA Draft | 2025 – Round 1, Pick 3 |
| Boyfriend | Marist Liufau |
| Boyfriend’s Team | Dallas Cowboys (NFL) |
| Boyfriend’s College | University of Notre Dame |
| Notable Accolades | ACC Freshman of the Year, All-ACC, Wooden Award Watch List, All-Tournament |
| @soniacitron | |
| Reference | Sportskeeda – Sonia Citron Boyfriend article |
The attention occasionally moved from Sonia Citron’s scoring record to her personal life, particularly her relationship with NFL linebacker Marist Liufau, during a memorable season in which she led Notre Dame through an emotional NCAA run. The couple has undoubtedly become one of the most talked-about couples in American college sports that have gone professional thanks to her poise and accuracy on the court and his reputation as a tough defender.
The couple’s story reportedly started at Notre Dame, where they both developed their athletic discipline under pressure from the country. As a freshman, Citron’s near-perfect free throw percentage in tournament games garnered attention, demonstrating her versatility and intellectual prowess. Liufau, a native of Hawaii with a tough demeanor, finished the program as a 2023 Butkus Award semifinalist after recording 117 tackles in 39 games. Together, they created parallel routes to excellence through mutual understanding of sacrifice, late-night training sessions, and shared rigor.
With the caption, “Two with you,” Citron’s modest Instagram post from January 2024 commemorated their second anniversary and gave fans a unique but endearing glimpse into a relationship that had mostly avoided the spotlight of never-ending media attention. However, that restraint was not interpreted as indifference; rather, it was a sign of emotional maturity, which is particularly uncommon in athletes juggling two careers.
At the 2025 WNBA Draft, Liufau was sitting proudly in the audience when Citron heard her name called as the Washington Mystics selected her third overall. Cameras and fans swiftly captured his heartfelt and sincere response. Even though some social media users made fun of his draft ranking being “lower” than Citron’s, that fleeting exchange highlighted something much more powerful: how relationships in sports, when founded on respect and sincerity, produce shared victories that go beyond numbers.
Their cultural moment is what gives their connection a particularly strong resonance. Women’s basketball is experiencing a sharp increase in popularity and public awareness thanks to breakout players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. With her cool head and remarkable consistency, Sonia Citron is a remarkable fit for that evolving story. Parallel to this, the NFL keeps showcasing up-and-coming players like Liufau, whose work ethic and humility make him easy to support.
Not only is it poetic that both athletes entered professional leagues within a year of one another, but it also represents a changing sports culture. Female athletes are no longer portrayed as incidental. Citron’s draft moment, which was praised for both her skill and her calm professionalism, stood in stark contrast to the tumultuous, meme-filled moments that frequently characterize male-dominated sports coverage. She was more than just a WNBA pick in that room. Liufau knew she was a leader.
Perhaps without realizing it, they have turned into a role model for younger athletes navigating relationships in the spotlight. They don’t curate their love for clicks or likes. Rather, it is unveiled in flash-free moments: a beach photo here, a sideline embrace there, a draft-day celebration. Their intimacy feels genuine—like a private note exchanged during study hall rather than a pre-written TV show—in a time when performative couple content is all too common.
Their narrative feels especially novel since it unites two sizable but frequently estranged fan bases. Audiences for the NFL and WNBA hardly ever overlap. However, Citron and Liufau merge those worlds into a common emotional current by virtue of their sincere connection. Similar to how Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce unintentionally brought together football fans and music lovers, this connection—albeit much more subtle—is subtly changing attitudes.
Both leagues benefit greatly from that effect. Younger WNBA fans now view their favorite players as complete people—thinkers, leaders, sisters, and girlfriends—in addition to being athletes, thanks to their increased engagement on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. NFL fans who follow Liufau, meanwhile, get a look at the cadence of WNBA greatness from the perspective of someone they already admire.
Both have only recently started their professional careers, but their strategic patience, quiet loyalty, and ability to remain grounded in the face of chaos speak for themselves. And even though detractors might point fingers at the tiniest details, like a slightly awkward sideline pose or a red heart emoji, what clearly shows is a couple creating something lasting in the erratic world of sports celebrity.
Their impact over time can be gauged not only by championship rings or media attention, but also by the way they have set an example of love, humility, and stability in their parallel journeys. For aspiring athletes, who frequently worry that relationships will affect their performance, that has a particularly significant effect. Citron and Liufau are demonstrating the opposite: personal life can be a source of inspiration rather than a diversion when it is based on respect and understanding for one another.
