When Team USA takes the court next week in Puerto Rico in a qualifying tournament for the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup, Aliyah Boston and Sonia Citron won’t be suiting up.
Team USA announced Thursday morning Boston and Citron are “no longer available” to compete in the tournament. They have been replaced on the roster by Rae Burrell and Monique Billings.
Boston and Citron both suffered injuries while playing in Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league that finished its second season on Wednesday.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft in 2023 out of South Carolina, Boston was playing for Phantom BC at Unrivaled and the club ruled her out for the remainder of the season on March 1 with what it called a “right lower extremity” injury. The Indiana Fever center averaged 18.9 points in Unrivaled this season and led the league in blocks per game (2.1).
Citron missed the end of the Unrivaled regular season with the same injury designation as Boston. The Notre Dame product was named to the WNBA’s All-Rookie and All-Star teams last season with the Washington Mystics. She had been averaging 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in Unrivaled.
Boston and Citron both participated in the first training camp for Team USA head coach Kara Lawson on the campus of Duke University in December. Citron was set to make her debut with the senior national team in Puerto Rico, while it would’ve been the first appearance for Boston since the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup.
Billings was a member of the 2017 USA U23 Women’s National Team which went 3-0 at the FIBA U24 Four Nations Tournament. For Burrell, she will be making her debut with Team USA, but did participate in a USA Basketball 3×3 development camp in 2024.
An eight-year WNBA veteran, Billings — a UCLA product — averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season with the Golden State Valkyries. She had a career-high effective field goal percentage of 51.1%.
Burrell, a former Tennessee Lady Vol, has spent her entire four-year WNBA career with the LA Sparks. She averaged career-bests in scoring and rebounding this past season, posting 7.5 points and 2.3 boards per game.
Team USA will convene in Miami this weekend for a camp before departing for Puerto Rico. The Americans — with a team headlined by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray — will open play on March 11 against Senegal.
