After flirting with a playoff spot for most of the season, the Washington Mystics (16-22) are unlikely to get in the dance with six games left. However, players like Shakira Austin are proving why they have one of the brightest futures in the WNBA.
The 25-year-old reflected on her journey after notching a career-high 30 points (10-15 FG) with five rebounds, four blocks, one assist, and one steal over 26 minutes in Sunday's 84-82 loss to the Seattle Storm (20-19).
I asked Shakira Austin what a game like tonight mean for her given her injury struggles throughout her career. She said “this is what I’ve been waiting for…learning from my mistakes.”
Coach Johnson also credited Stef Dolson (11 pts) for her improvement this season. pic.twitter.com/fUuxKXYyoa
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) August 24, 2025
“It's what I've been waiting for. Just to be healthy, learning from my mistakes,” she said. “Having that opportunity to be out there and continue to get better every day, every week. Figuring out what's something you can tune in on and capitalize on. I just love being out there, it's what I want to do, so I'm just happy.”
Austin received All-Rookie honors in 2022 after playing all 36 games, but she then played just 31 contests over the next two seasons due to hip and ankle ailments. The Ole Miss alum had surgery after a labral tear in 2023 and then hurt the ankle after stepping on an opponent's foot against the Storm in August 2024, almost exactly a year before Sunday's career night.
Sunday's game was also Austin's 32nd of the season, surpassing the total from her previous two campaigns. Fittingly, that was the one when she showed how far she's come with a historic performance.
Austin became the first Mystic ever to record 30-plus points and four-plus blocks in a game and just the second WNBA player to do so this season, via Mystics PR. The 6-foot-5-inch forward rejected No. 2 overall pick Dominique Molonga twice and former teammate Brittney Sykes on a potential go-ahead layup with under five minutes left.
Austin was left out of the national spotlight over the last couple of years with the emergence of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but how does she stack up to the league's best players now?
Shakira Austin Should be WNBA All-Star
Austin is showing that health is the only thing that can stop her from being an upper-echelon player. For example, her 13.1 points per game are only 1.2 less than Reese, who's a two-time All-Star in just her second season. Additionally, her 47.9 percent field goal clip is 2.1 percent above her younger counterpart's.
Austin also averages 0.2 more points than rookie All-Star teammate Kiki Iriafen, although the latter is more efficient (49.3 percent FG) with 2.3 more rebounds per game. However, games like Sunday's show that the veteran can take over on any given day, even with Iriafen already being a star player.
Additionally, Austin's 6.4 rebounds per game are only 0.1 less than future Hall of Famer Breanna Stewart and o.9 more than modern legend Brittney Griner. The data shows that Austin is performing on a similar level to several of the WNBA's most prominent players, from the most accomplished veterans to the rookies.
It's one thing for Austin to miss out on the All-Star game in her first season back from injury, but she deserves to make it next year if she performs at or above her current level. Combining the Maryland native's talent with Rookie of the Year candidates Iriafen and Sonia Citron moving forward provides Washington with a blueprint to long-term success, as long as it re-signs her this offseason.
Up next for Austin and the Mystics is an road clash with the New York Liberty (23-15).
