SNOW FLURRIES FALL on a February night in Pittsburgh. An eager crowd — some kids, some adults, some security — gathers outside the Petersen Events Center. They stand beside the Notre Dame bus, trying to keep warm while they wait.
Less than an hour earlier, the second-ranked women’s basketball team in the country beat Pittsburgh 88-57 for its 17th straight win. The terrific trio in the Notre Dame backcourt combined for 61 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists and 10 steals. The group waiting in the snow is hoping for an up-close look, a selfie, maybe an autograph from the backcourt bosses seemingly bound for the WNBA.
The first to come out of the arena is senior Sonia Citron, wearing team sweats and a winter coat. Her chestnut hair is pulled down from her game-day ponytail. She had 22 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of steals and assists against Pitt.
Former Notre Dame point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith describes Citron as a “Steady Betty.” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey says she is the “silent assassin.”
A group of autograph chasers present Citron with uninflated balls, fake hardwood squares and pictures. She smiles, though barely speaks, as she signs. Citron’s signature on its own, the autograph seekers say, isn’t worth as much as her teammates’ are, despite being a projected WNBA draft…
