Shakira Austin is giving the Washington Mystics the kind of start they have been waiting for. Through eight games, the 25-year-old is averaging career highs of 17.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 28.6 minutes, and she has done it while becoming more than just a post scorer.
That matters now because Austin has been the steady force in a season that is still young but already has a clear shape. She has scored at least 12 points in every game, is shooting better than 50% from the field and has made three of seven 3-point attempts, all signs that her efficiency is traveling with her production. On May 29, she backed it up with 25 points on 8-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds in a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, the kind of performance that draws attention even in defeat.
The numbers explain why the Mystics are leaning on her so heavily. Austin ranks in the top 20 in the WNBA in points, rebounds and blocks per game, and her 2.6 assists a night are another career best after she averaged 1.8 last season. She has 21 assists, and they have spread to eight different teammates, with 10 leading to layups, eight to 3-pointers and three to midrange shots. That fits what Washington wants more of from its offense, and it also shows how much Austin’s game has widened beyond the low block.
Coach Sydney Johnson captured the mood around her on May 29, saying Austin was “arriving, she’s blossoming and … she’s thriving.” Austin has said the new three-year contract she signed in April, worth $1.19 million annually, motivates her to live up to it and show everything she can do. She put that in plain terms on a podcast, saying she had been waiting to be healthy and wants to be the player she knows she can be, adding that right now she is in a situation where she can show it.
That line carries extra weight because Austin’s rise comes after injuries limited her to 31 games across her second and third seasons. Natasha Cloud, who played with her in Washington in 2022 and 2023, said Austin has done an extraordinary job over the last two to three years with her commitment to herself and working on herself, calling her relentless in proving herself right. Tyler Marsh said her passing now forces defenses to think about pressuring her farther out than just in the low post.
There is still a question beneath the breakout: whether Austin can keep this pace once opponents load up on her touches and try to take away the easy looks she is creating for others. For now, the answer is that she is not just producing; she is changing the way the Mystics can run their offense.
