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5 things to know about Mystics’ No. 3 pick Shakira Austin

By Matt Weyrich

5 things to know about Mystics’ No. 3 pick Shakira Austin originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Mystics made a significant addition to their frontcourt Monday night, selecting Ole Miss center Shakira Austin with the No. 3 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. Austin, listed at 6-foot-5, will have the chance to develop her game as a member of Washington’s rotation while the Mystics attempt to improve on their 12-20 record from a year ago.

Here are five things to know about the Mystics’ incoming rookie.

No stranger to the DMV

Austin was born in Fredericksburg, Va., and spent her high school years living in King George and Stafford counties. After attending James Monroe High School as a freshman, she transferred to Colonial Forge for two years before finishing up her high school career at Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) under former George Washington University head coach Mike Bozeman.

Even before transferring to Riverdale Baptist, Austin had committed to attending Maryland. She spent her first two NCAA seasons with the Terrapins, averaging 10.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while helping lead the program to consecutive Big Ten regular season titles.

Basketball genes in the family

The first member of the Austin family to go pro was Austin’s uncle, Waverly. Following two years at Oregon that included a run to the Sweet 16 in 2013, the 6-foot-11 forward took his skills overseas to play in Germany. Austin credits her uncle with helping establish her strong defensive mindset.

Height runs in the family as well. Waverly’s mother — and Shakira’s grandmother — Ilona stands tall at about 6-foot-5, according to the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Austin will join Elena Delle Donne as the tallest players on the Mystics’ roster this season.

A scout’s dream profile

Even in high school, Austin was widely recognized as one of the top talents in the country. She was a five-star recruit coming out of Riverdale Baptist, landing at No. 4 on the 2018 espnW HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. ESPN’s Dan Olson described her as an “ultra-athletic big-forward with skilled interior game” while noting her skills on defense and in transition.

When Austin transferred to Ole Miss two years later, ESPN ranked her No. 1 on its list of players in the transfer portal. She then went No. 3 overall in the WNBA Draft after the Mystics traded back from the top spot. Head coach Mike Thibault told The Washington Post he “felt we got a player who was capable of being the first pick.”

New foundation of success in Oxford

When Austin arrived to Ole Miss, the Rebels were coming off a 7-23 season in which they went 0-16 in SEC play. She was betting on herself, wagering she could take the program back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007. After a 15-12 season in 2020-21, Austin did just that.

Leading the team in points (15.2 ppg), rebounds (9.0 rpg) and blocks (2.1 bpg), Austin guided Ole Miss to a 23-9 campaign that included wins over ranked opponents South Florida, Kentucky and Florida. The seventh-seeded Rebels were bounced in the first round by No. 10 seed South Dakota, but the season was still one of the most successful that the program had seen in decades.

Blocks, rebounds come in bunches

In her four collegiate seasons, Austin had 11 games with five or more blocks. She set an SEC tournament record with six blocked shots against Florida in the first round of the conference tourney this past season, though her career high was eight set back at Maryland as a freshman.

Austin got her NCAA career off to a strong start when, coming off the bench, she tallied 21 rebounds against Coppin State in 24 minutes. It was one of 27 games she would record at least 12 boards. Austin led her respective teams in rebounding three out of four years, falling just short of Kaila Charles — now with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun — for the distinction as a sophomore in College Park.

Elena Delle Donne back at Team USA after ‘greatest offseason ever’

By Tyler Byrum
Delle Donne back at Team USA after 'greatest offseason ever' originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonThe rest of the WNBA better be prepared. Elena Delle Donne just said she is coming off "the greatest offseason" of her career.No longer is she rehabbing nor easing her back toward playing at full health. The two-time WNBA MVP is building up strength, hitting PRs in the gym and gearing up for another run at a championship in 2023. Her comments came at USA Basketball's initial camp in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was just Delle Donne's second stint with the team since she had multiple back procedures in the 2019-20 WNBA offseason. Last year she joined her American teammates while they practiced at the Mystics' D.C. practice facility in January 2022. She was limited in her involvement then, participating in the first half of practices before moving to shooting-only drills. Following the WNBA season, Delle Donne opted out of the August 2022 camp in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup, even after receiving an invite. This time, though, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist is back without restriction."I'm full go, no hesitation. I was setting some big screens today on the guys," Delle Donne said in a Zoom press conference. It would be one thing if the "greatest offseason" comment came after an ordinary offseason for one of the best players in the league. But this was an offseason where Delle Donne said she was no longer worried about progressing in her recovery. She was recovered. It's now a matter of her getting back to training workouts and improving her game."To be able to now train and not be rehabbing is so refreshing," Delle Donne said. "It had been many offseasons of rehabbing, surgeries or whatever that may be. So to be lifting now, lifting far more weight than I have ever lifted in my life, and to be on this plan to get me ready and as strong as possible for the season, I feel really good about it."Don't think that's a big deal? Look at her numbers from last season.She was one of five players to average 17+ points, 6+ rebounds and 2+ assists per game. Every player in that group made an All-WNBA team, except Delle Donne. Her player efficiency rating (25.4) was third-best in the league. Her win-share (4.4) was 10th. All of that came as she attempted to complete her first full regular season since 2019. She played 25 of the possible 36 games, leading the team to an 18-7 record which would be tied with the champion Las Vegas Aces for the highest winning percentage (.720) when stretched out to a full season.Related: Mystics aren't concerned with Liberty, Aces movesNow, with eight months of re-focusing on her abilities with her new and improved back, that will be a high ceiling she could reach this year."It's no longer 'am I going to be healthy?' It's 'how can I be the best Elena I can possibly be on court.' That's where the focus is now which is a very big relief," Delle Donne said. Getting back to playing with Team USA is one of the goals that she set out to achieve during her revival. Missing out on the 2020 Toyko Olympics - which took place in 2021 - was hard on her. She "struggled" to watch the games because of how hard it was for her to not be on the team.If she makes the roster for Paris, she can check that goal off her list. As for her WNBA goals?"(It's the same goal it always is; win a championship," Delle Donne said.
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