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The Washington Mystics' All-Star rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, nicknamed “Kitron,” has deservedly dominated the team's headlines this season. However, Shakira Austin's bounce-back is another vital development.
The 2022 No. 3 overall pick is averaging a career-high 12.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting with 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks over 23.1 minutes this season. She's Washington's third-leading scorer behind Citron and Iriafen after the Brittney Sykes trade, and she leads in steals and blocks.
Austin's played 27 games this year, which is her highest single-season total since playing all 36 as a rookie in 2022. The former All-Rookie honoree played just 31 contests over the last two seasons due to hip and ankle injuries.
Unfortunately, though, Austin missed Washington's last two games with left leg soreness. The team beat the struggling Dallas Wings 91-78 without her on Sunday, but lost 88-83 to the Golden State Valkyries at home on Wednesday. The Mystics, who cut the deficit from 25 in the first quarter to three with under a minute left, could've used the veteran's paint presence on both ends to complete the comeback.
Washington, who is 14-18, is 9-11 when Austin plays 20-plus minutes. Having the Maryland native in the lineup gives a boost that could be the difference between making or missing the playoffs in the first year of the organization's new regime. It is currently 1.5 games behind the Seattle Storm in the WNBA standings for the eighth and final postseason spot.
The Mystics have made it clear that they're focused on the future over the present, but making the playoffs in the first year of a rebuild would be a validating accomplishment for the new brass. Austin's contributions are now even more significant after general manager Jamila Wideman revealed to reporters on Thursday that she is in the team's long-term plans, via Monumental Sports Network's Tyler Byrum.
“The question of her health won't even be on the table anymore, because she's outplayed that question,” she said. “That's what we're excited about… she is part of that young core that we're very excited to build around.”
Austin will be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning that Washington can retain her by matching any offer sheet another team provides. If the Mystics do bring the 25-year-old back, she'd be involved in a rebuild including Citron, Iriafen, No. 6 overall pick Georgia Amoore (ACL), and whoever they draft next year. The team owns three 2026 first-round picks, two seconds, and one third.
If this season is the floor for a new-look Washington squad featuring Austin, the team could become a championship contender by 2027.
Shakira Austin channels Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid to score
Austin's athleticism and her 6-foot-5-inch frame help her dominate around the rim, but she also relies on a deep bag of moves offensively. The Ole Miss alum uses pump fakes, spins, and brute strength to score in the post, as well as speed and handles to evade defenders in the fastbreak.
Austin revealed after her 20-point (8-18 FG), eight-rebound performance in Washington's 88-72 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on July 27 that she studies superstar NBA big men Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid to aid her game around the rim.
Shakira Austin told me that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid both inspired some of her moves around the rim. However, Jade Melbourne interjected and said that Shakira is a “one of one” 😂.
Head coach Sydney Johnson also jumped in and praised Austin’s growth. pic.twitter.com/YesFRMINAU
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) July 28, 2025
“I watch a lot of YouTube highlights. Giannis, his footwork. I watch [Joel Embiid],” she said. “My dad sent me [Embiid clips] and said, ‘You need to do this.' It's more so for me just being patient. I have a lot of counters, and I use too many a lot of the time. It's just slowing down and using my physicality and strength to be on balance when I go up.”
Antetokounmpo and Embiid have three MVP awards, 16 All-Star selections, and one Finals MVP award between them, so they are certainly good players to learn from. On the other hand, Mystics guard Jade Melbourne made a revealing comment about Austin before her answer:
“She's one of one,” she said. “Nobody inspired ‘Kira. She is her. It's Kira's style of play; she doesn't steal it from anyone.”
Melbourne may have simply been hyping up her teammate, but that statement shows how respected Austin is in the locker room. Productive veterans are vital for any squad, but especially the youngest one in the league, which Washington is. The 2023 Israeli League MVP provides the perfect balance of being a role model for the youngest players while also approaching her prime.
The Mystics are 1-2 since the August 7 WNBA Trade Deadline, and they're still adjusting after shedding Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards for Jacy Sheldon and Alysha Clark. Austin's return will help stabilize the rotation in this transitional time, which could be as soon as Sunday's home date with the Los Angeles Sparks. The former McDonald's All-American will not play against the Indiana Fever on Friday, via The Washington Post's Kareem Copeland.
