Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin has been officially ruled out for the team's upcoming game against the Dallas Wings, per Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post, due to a left ankle injury sustained during game on Aug. 26 against the Seattle Storm. The injury occurred just seconds into the third quarter when Austin appeared to step on the foot of Storm center Ezi Magbegor, causing her to collapse to the floor in pain. She was quickly assisted off the court by trainers and did not return to the game.

Austin also missed the Mystics' last two games against the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun

This latest setback is another blow for Austin, who has been battling health issues for much of the past two seasons. After a strong rookie year in 2022, during which she played in all 36 games, Austin has struggled to stay on the court due to a recurring hip injury. The 24-year-old underwent offseason surgery to address the issue but was only able to appear in six games this season before being sidelined again due to her hip.

“It was such a mental battle in itself that it literally was showing on the court. The first couple months, I couldn’t even focus on the basketball aspect. It was like, my body doesn’t feel right. I don’t feel like myself. I’m out here missing easy layups. We’re f—ing losing; we’re 0-10. It was bad,” Austin said, as reported by Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.

Other Mystics players step up in absence of Shakira Austin

Washington Mystics head coach Eric Thibault (L) hugs Mystics center Shakira Austin (0) in the final minute against the New York Liberty in the fourth quarter.
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Austin had just begun to regain her form prior to the Aug. 26 injury. In her third game back, she delivered a standout performance against the Storm in Washington, D.C., scoring a career-high 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Her return was a much-needed boost for the Mystics, who have dealt with numerous injuries throughout the season.

Despite her efforts to come back stronger, Austin's season has been marred by bad luck. This latest injury not only keeps her out of the crucial matchup against the Wings but also raises questions about her availability for the remainder of the season.

“It’s just a series of unfortunate events,” teammate Brittney Sykes said about Austin. “But that is the ugliness and the beauty of this game, where you have the opportunity to step up for your teammates when they go down.

Head coach Mike Thibault also expressed his disappointment for Austin after the game against the Storm.

“Disappointed for her,” Thibault said. “But big credit to everybody who stepped up … And with all that going on, we just hung in … and showed the mentality that I think we wanted to show.”