Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin’s belief in her game has never faltered. Others now believe, too.

The first trait many people notice about Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin is her fiery red hair, which makes her easily identifiable on a basketball court.

After a conversation with Austin, the second, surely, is her unwavering confidence.

“I just know the type of player that I can be. I look around the league, and I don’t see anybody else that can do what I do,” Austin said. “I’ve always felt like that.”

To some, Austin may come off as brash, especially for a 26-year-old who has yet to be named an All-Star since joining the WNBA in 2022. But throughout a pro career in which Austin has battled injury and often found herself in roles in which she felt underutilized, confidence became her lifeline.

While Austin is in her fifth year in the WNBA, in many ways she feels like she has only just arrived. For the 6-foot-5 center, this season has been one in which her vision for her role has matched her opportunity on the court. Finally healthy and playing the best basketball of her career, she believes she can become the best player in the league — and she has every intention of backing up that statement.

Her recent play is providing reason to believe she can live up to those lofty goals; in 16 games since July 2, Austin is averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks. According to ESPN Stats and Information, the only other WNBA player to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds over any 16-game span this season is Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, a four-time MVP.

“A lot of people have mistaken my confidence for being ego-driven or maybe big-headed. A lot of times it’s just because they didn’t see the vision,” Austin said. “They didn’t see the product that I was putting out matching how highly I thought of who I could be in this league.

“For me, it’s just simply about proving myself right.”

When Austin was a kid growing up in Fredericksburg, Virginia, her dad instilled in her a vision she has never wavered from. Once she committed to basketball, David Austin didn’t allow his daughter to settle for simply being good; he believed she could be a star. 

“I simply love the game of basketball, and I want to be great because of the work I put in at such a young age,” she said.

That vision carried Austin through the high school ranks, where she was a McDonald’s All-American and a top-five player in the 2018 class, and throughout college where she most notably spearheaded the on-court revival of Ole Miss women’s basketball as a two-time All-SEC selection. That belief in herself grew when she was selected third in the 2022 WNBA draft by Washington, where she was asked to play a supporting role alongside Basketball Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne.

“The biggest thing that kind of stood out to me in her rookie year was how confident she was … but also how much she actually wanted to learn and be a sponge,” said Los Angeles Sparks guard Ariel Atkins, who was Austin’s teammate in Washington from 2022-24. “When people are normally that confident, sometimes [others are] a little scared of them because they’re like, oh, you think you’re this or that. She’s like, ‘No, I am that, but I also know that I can be better at X, Y and Z.’ I think that’s what separates her.”

Austin finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, and she envisioned herself becoming more of a focal point of the franchise in the coming years. Instead, hip and ankle injuries limited her to playing in just 31 total games over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

And last season was particularly challenging. A lingering knee injury kept Austin out of the starting lineup for the first eight games of the year as she navigated a minutes restriction, but even once she was able to be fully reintegrated into the Mystics’ rotation, she found herself feeling like an “oddball” among the group.

“Sometimes there were no minute restrictions, and I was still [confused], like, I’m cleared to play, but I’m still not playing,” Austin said. “For me, personally, it was just feeling like I could have more impact than who was playing.”

Austin began to question her value and security within the Mystics organization and — with 2025 being a contract season — what her future might hold.

“I think any athlete could definitely have some pressures about, ‘What happens for next season?’” said Austin. “I think it can make you play, in a sense, a little tight in the ass.”

Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said he could sense Austin’s discomfort last season, adding that her feelings weren’t “unfounded.” However, he said her relative lack of playing time was more so a result of how the team developed than any shortcomings on her part.

Austin’s early-season injury woes created space for then-rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen to make immediate impacts. Citron, Iriafen and Mystics guard Brittney Sykes were all named All-Stars last year.

“You can see where those three players kind of start the way they did, and then Shakira comes into the fold, and then she can feel some kind of way,” Johnson said. “It’s working through that and trying to be as genuine as possible. As much as she may have felt on the outs … all along the way I was like, ‘You are a franchise player here.’”

Johnson would double down on that sentiment this past offseason, which Austin entered as a restricted free agent. On April 11, she signed an offer sheet with the Toronto Tempo. Given Austin’s restricted status, the Mystics had 48 hours to match the Tempo’s offer — and they did. Austin signed a three-year, max contract with Washington worth $3.57 million.

Johnson was adamant that the Mystics front office had no intention of letting Austin leave. There still was the obstacle of reassuring Austin of her place in the franchise, however. He worked to make that position clear during the offseason.

“I wanted to make sure there was absolutely no doubt that not only was she appreciated, but she’s a central part of everything that we’re trying to do,” Johnson told Andscape in June. “I wanted her to know that — I wanted her family to know that.”

The same day Austin signed with Washington, the Mystics selected UCLA center Lauren Betts with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. It was the fourth consecutive season the team had drafted high first-round frontcourt talents, following forwards Iriafen (No. 4) in 2025, Aaliyah Edwards (No. 6) in 2024 and center Stephanie Soares (No. 4) in 2023.

“My mind was already made up that whoever they drafted or no matter who we brought in in the offseason, it wasn’t going to change what I was going to do this year,” Austin said. “Whether they had plans for me or not, I knew that this was going to be a big year for me.”

Shortly after the Mystics matched the Tempo’s contract offer, Austin recalled sitting in front of Washington’s front office leadership and making it clear what she wanted out of the season.

“I told them straight up, like, ‘Either y’all get with me and I help lead us to a championship, or you’re going to have a lot of regrets,’” Austin said.

Her parting message to Mystics leadership was clear.

“I’m going to put the league on notice. I’m going to show people the player that I can be and how much I can help a team win,” Austin said. “That’s all I wanted to do this year.” 

Johnson said Austin and the front office were in alignment.

“For us, it was like, ‘Hey, we can roll with that. … Now, let’s get to work,’” he said.

Austin has been enjoying the best season of her professional career, averaging career highs in almost every major statistical category.

She has been able to play at her own pace on the court while not concerning herself with how others view her game.

“After I signed my contract … I could just fully be myself and I could embrace who I’ve always known I could be,” said Austin, who is averaging 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks this season, all of which rank first or second on the team. “I play my best basketball when I’m not thinking about anything. I think that’s now what I’m seeing is kind of just playing at a high level and staying in that zone.”

Multiple members of the Mystics coaching staff have lauded Austin’s maturity and leadership this season. 

“One thing that she has wanted to do is to have an impact on the game, but to do it in a way where her teammates can share in it,” Johnson said. “For me, when I was hearing her say this, I was like, man, she’s really matured to a level of wanting to be good individually but bringing her team along. That’s another level of greatness that I don’t know if people appreciate.”

Her growth as a playmaker has been particularly gratifying for the Mystics staff, a facet of her game she has aimed to improve since she was a rookie. Johnson highlighted Austin’s sense of comfort on the floor as enabling her to navigate whichever type of defense opposing teams throw at her.

“[I’m] just allowing my attacks because of how much attention I draw, to help facilitate and get my teammates open shots,” said Austin, who is averaging a career-high 2.5 assists per game. “It’s not just about who has the highest stats. It’s truly, how can you impact the game?”

Outside the Mystics organization, others also are seeing that impact.

“The last couple of years she’s struggled with staying healthy, but now she’s playing better than she has in her entire career,” Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said before his team played the Mystics in June. “She’s made tremendous progress in her growth and development. She’ll be around here a long time.”

Austin is currently on the shortlist for the league’s Most Improved Player award. Johnson, who is admittedly biased in his assessment, said she should be a “no-brainer” selection.

“I don’t think there’s a single frontcourt player — check that — I don’t think there’s a single WNBA player in our league who is as versatile on both ends of the floor and has impacted winning like she has in a single season, from one [season] to the next,” Johnson said. “From last year to this year, her impact on this team on both ends of the floor is far and away greater than any player in a single season of development.”

Despite the uncertainty that surrounded Austin both as a player and as a free agent as recently as a few months ago, there’s a sense of gratification that the career season she’s enjoying is coming with her in a Mystics uniform.

Austin thinks the team has the pieces to win a championship, and as the longest tenured franchise player on the roster, she wants to be the player that helps lead it there.

“This is my city, and I’ll forever say that,” Austin said. “It’s such a rare instance for someone to get drafted to their hometown and make it five years. I know a lot of people maybe expected me to automatically come back, and there were a lot of people who knew it could have been my last year here.

“It’s just having that appreciation of, whether this is where I am for the rest of my career or not, I’m going to make an impact while I’m here.”

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