Top Plays 2026

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top-plays-of-the-day-05-18-2026

Top Plays of the Day, 05/18/2026

Analysis

We’re officially into the swing of this WNBA season, and there haven’t been too many surprises to start off. The Las Vegas Aces continue to look like a powerhouse, while teams like the Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm, Portland Fire, and others keep trying to find ways to get going amid a strong overall league and tough start to the year. 
This past week, we saw a rookie milestone, an incredible buzzer-beater, a potential Finals preview, and the continued steady rise of one young team. Let’s get into those moments from these last few days in the WNBA, as we careen quickly towards the kick-off to Commissioner’s Cup play on June 1. 
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<h2>Olivia Miles’ Early Rookie of the Year campaign </h2>
<div id="attachment_260933" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260933" class="wp-image-260933 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115012.428-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Olivia Miles, the second-overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, has been a key cog for the Minnesota Lynx’s offense so far this season. Veteran Courtney Williams said as much in a recent interview, saying of Miles that she’s the “captain of the ship.”
“For her to be a rookie and coming in and doing it the way she doing it, that girl gonna be a problem. I’ve been saying that,” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYXl0HsiVED/">continued Williams.  </a>
She’s not wrong about Miles’ leadership on the court: the rookie is averaging seven assists per game, along with 16.3 points and 3.7 rebounds. She also recently became the first player in WNBA history to record 30+ points and 15+ assists through her first two games.  
You can’t catch a Lynx game as of late without catching an unbelievably slick pass from Miles at the top of the arc to a streaking Minnesota player. She’s also a threat in transition, which makes defending her difficult: either you bite on her shot, and she takes advantage of a weaker defense with her passing, or she forces a defense to hone in on defending other Lynx shooters around Miles, opening up multiple lanes for her. 
Miles is, by a long shot, the current Rookie of the Year favorite. It’s far too early to say whether anyone else from the class will catch up to her in terms of impact, but she’s looking ready to firmly take the reins on that race. 
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<h2>Portland Fire Finally Get First W</h2>
In one of the coolest moments so far this season, the Portland Fire managed to push the New York Liberty into a tie-game situation during their May 12 contest, and Bridget Carleton was forced to chuck up a three to try and win the game for the Fire &#8211; their first for the franchise since coming back to the city. 
Carleton’s shot was off, but Sarah Ashlee Barker had a heads-up rebound after New York failed to box out, and she hit a buzzer-beating layup to secure Portland’s first win of the season at home. The crowd was raucous, and head coach Alex Sarama could only describe the electric victory &#8211; gotten off a second-chance opportunity &#8211;<a href="https://www.rosegardenreport.com/sarah-ashlee-barkers-buzzer-beater-was-portland-fire-101/"> “Portland Fire 101.”</a>
The Fire have struggled this season, and it’s not surprising: with so many new pieces added to an entirely new franchise, in addition to a new coach, they’re bound to have some serious growing pains. While the Golden State Valkyries’ success in 2025 was a great blueprint to follow for Portland and the Toronto Tempo, there’s only so much you can do to recreate that magic. 
Portland’s not too worse for wear as of late. They’re averaging 37.5 percent from three-point range between May 10 and May 17, and have upped their points per game average to 90. They’re on a good path towards improving, and this buzzer-beater should’ve injected some major confidence into them. 
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<h2>Potential Finals Preview</h2>
<div id="attachment_260935" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260935" class="wp-image-260935 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/Thumbnail-2026-05-18T115253.041-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces and Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
In the WNBA’s first game hosted by NBC, the Atlanta Dream clashed with the Aces in what you have to hope could be a Finals preview.
It was a back-and-forth affair, especially in the 4th quarter. Jordin Canada was doing everything in her power to keep the Dream in the game with timely steals and hit shots in the midrange, while Te-Hina Paopao and rookie Madina Okot were holding their own quite well against such vaunted competition. 
But the Aces simply have a gear that most other teams don’t, and while they couldn’t keep that gear going consistently for the entire second half, it helped them survive a game in which Jackie Young scored 0 points. 
Chennedy Carter and A’ja Wilson were sensational, each scoring 20 points, while Chelsea Gray did what she does best for the entire game: controlled the tempo, hit shots when necessary, and was the most clutch player on the court. It was an extremely entertaining back-and-forth between two talented teams, with plenty of hope that they could push for a Finals appearance this season. 
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<h2>Hot Offenses, Porous Defenses </h2>
Two teams have seen a lack of team defense lead to disappointing losses: the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever. 
Dallas attempted, in earnest, to address their defensive holes in free agency this year. They signed Alanna Smith to a deal, with the forward just coming off a co-DPOY win in 2025. Jess Shepard also has some defensive upside thanks to her size, although Smith is truly the stalwart between the two in the Wings’ frontcourt.
Outside of those signings, the Wings didn&#8217;t lean into acquiring more players known for their defensive skills. Paige Bueckers is a pest thanks to her size and active hands on defense, but Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims leave a lot to be desired in that department. There was a specific loss from this week, against the Lynx, that should’ve really left a sour taste in the Wings’ mouths. 
They were shooting well enough, but left the rookie Miles open for far too many runaway layups in the 4th quarter due to poor transition defense. Add a lack of rebounding (of which the Wings are only averaging 29 per game as a team, good for 13th in the league), and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of shootouts that end in losses for Dallas. They can’t simply score their way to good defense. A 110.2 defensive rating just isn’t going to cut it for a team that is positioning itself as a potential sleeper in this year’s postseason. 
Another squad struggling mightily to find answers on defense is the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark is a terrific offensive presence, a floor general that can stretch the floor, but has limitations on defensive end. Aliyah Boston can only remedy that so much from the post, while the rest of the Fever’s cast &#8211; Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell, and Mo Billings &#8211; must step up to make teams pay for putting Clark in actions repeatedly. 
The Fever, who are 9th in the league in defensive rating (104.6), are allowing the 3rd-most fast break points in the league so far (12.8 per game), but are being saved by their rebounding ability and Boston’s presence defensively in the paint. They have a ton of room for improvement if they want to prevent further losses &#8211; especially at home. 
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<h2>Washington’s Core Still on the Rise </h2>
Anyone who saw Sonia Citron’s and Kiki Iriafen’s rookie seasons in Washington knew that, headed into 2026, we’d be in for a huge leap from both players. Citron has been a lights-out shooter for the Mystics so far this year, averaging 24.3 points per game and shooting 60.5 percent from the field. Her 1.7 steals and one block per game are making her look more and more like the 3-and-D phenom that college scouts figured she could become in the right system. 
As for Iriafen, it simply looks like the hardest task in the world, attempting to box her out. Her 19 points per game, along with 13.7 rebounds and 59 percent shooting from the field, are becoming a tenet for this Mystics team’s system. She makes life difficult for almost any big that dares cross paths with her in the post, which has helped Washington along to a 101.1 defensive rating (4th in the league) and the 2nd-most prolific rebounding team in the league (43.3 per game). 
And, while Shakira Austin isn’t one of the new faces for Washington, she’s only 25 years old and still a huge piece to this team’s identity. Her 17.7 points per game, along with 10 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks, help to easily make her a leader for this young team on the court. Health has always been a huge, and unfortunate, barrier for Austin in her career with the Mystics, so it would be incredible to witness her build a winning squad alongside Iriafen, Citron, and the rest of the neophytes in Washington in 2026. Their 2-1 record through three games does little to speak to just how much momentum and potential they have thanks to this trio.

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Five Things I Like: Week One 2026

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Top 10 Plays of the Week

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Top Plays of the Day 5/15/2026

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics 05/15/2026

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Shakira Austin says no!

Tip-Off 2026

The 30th season of the WNBA tipped off with a bang, with rookies flying out of the gate with highlight performances, underdog squads testing the limits of contenders, and up-and-coming units finding their groove early on in the year. 
We’re only a few games into the season, so I won&#8217;t make any statements about how teams looked during Tip-Off weekend that sound too grandiose. But there were at least five definitive things to take away from the contests that kicked off the league’s 30th year. 
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<h2>2026 Rookie Class Shines</h2>
<div id="attachment_260410" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260410" class="wp-image-260410" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2274822522-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jovana Nogic #29 of the Phoenix Mercury</div>
Much of this year’s draft class has already taken a swing at their first taste of WNBA, and there were some major standouts from the first weekend of action. Olivia Miles’ 21-point, eight-assist, two-block, two-steal, and three-rebound debut for the Minnesota Lynx was nearly enough to get them a win over the Atlanta Dream on opening weekend, but regardless of the outcome, it was unbelievably impressive. 
Flau’jae Johnson was on fire for the Seattle Storm in their one win from opening weekend, getting the Connecticut Sun into foul trouble and driving with purpose to the basket despite the danger of Brittney Griner lurking at the rim. She was also not afraid to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/storms-flaujae-johnson-shines-hits-110722119.html">let Griner know</a> about her ability to get to the hoop. 
There were also a few sleeper rookies who shone this past weekend, with one being Serbian guard Jovana Nogic with the Phoenix Mercury. She’s a confident shot taker with a three-ball consistently in her bag, and the Mercury really needed someone like her injected into the roster following the loss of Satou Sabally in free agency. 
Madina Okot, the former board-eater with the South Carolina Gamecocks, quickly established herself as an apt Griner replacement for the Atlanta Dream on the glass with 11 rebounds and 14 points in her debut. 
It’ll be exciting to watch several other high-ceiling rookies like Azzi Fudd, Raven Johnson, and Awa Fam begin to hit their stride throughout this season. But it’s obvious that the All-Rookie race and the battle for Rookie of the Year are not going to be a clear-cut. 
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<h2>2. Washington Mystics and Their Young Core</h2>
Following a downtrodden 2025 season riddled with injuries, the Mystics snapped up quite a few big-name bigs in this year’s draft, adding some depth behind their key frontcourt duo in Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen. 
Those two, plus guard Sonia Citron, already look to be a serious problem for teams this year thanks to their defensive effort and ability to score all over the floor. Citron is averaging 21.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, while Iriafen firmly leads the league in rebounding through two contests. Austin is a bit of a unicorn for the Mystics as she has multiple ways of killing teams as a scorer, thanks to her excellent ball-handling for a forward, but her health has to remain intact for Washington to truly make some noise later in the season and in the race to the postseason. 
While it’s a small sample size, there’s more than enough to be scared about with the potential of this Mystics squad. 
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<h2>3. Fringe Contenders Impressed</h2>
While we know the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty are strong candidates for being Finals-bound, there are a few other squads that have the depth and star power to push either of those teams to the brink. The Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury all proved to be that sort of potential thorn in the Aces and Liberty’s sides with their opening weekend performances. 
For Phoenix, the largest question for them this offseason was how they’d fare after losing Sabally in free agency. The answer to that question is multi-fold: they’re relying on the defensive presence provided by Alyssa Thomas, in addition to the health and three-level scoring of Kahleah Copper. And, they have the depth to have a strong run in the regular season, followed by an even stronger one in the postseason. 
You’d have to imagine Phoenix is itching to get back to the Finals following getting swept by the Aces in 2025. Well, a start to the year that features 47.8 shooting from three-point range and an emphatic victory over the Aces in their season debut surely communicates how hungry they are to get back to that peak. 
As for the Wings, there are still huge question marks about their defensive capabilities. Alanna Smith, the co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, was brought on by the Wings as an attempt to address at least one part of their defensive weakness. 
She had a tough matchup in the Wings’ first game, which was against Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever. Still, you have to love Dallas’ upside on offense. They posted a 120.2 offensive rating in their first game, led by Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Odyssey Sims. 
Atlanta’s bread and butter this season may be their ability to keep teams grounded thanks to their defense. They immediately saw the benefit of adding Angel Reese to their roster this offseason via trade in their first game, against the Lynx. 
She and Allisha Gray had back-to-back blocks to seal their victory over Minnesota, showing just how valuable a piece Reese could be to Atlanta on defense while she still carves out a role on offense. That block was her third, which was a team-high, which added to her already impressive line featuring 14 boards and 11 points.
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<h2>4. New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries Undefeated </h2>
<div id="attachment_260411" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260411" class="wp-image-260411" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2275536485-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Janelle Salaun #13 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
Again, it’s way too early in the season to frame these teams’ undefeated records following tip-off weekend as anything more than a two-game winning streak, but both teams’ methods of winning were impressive nonetheless. 
For Golden State, they’ve once again been relying on guard Veronica Burton and forward Janelle Salaun for firepower. Salaun, specifically, has been a revelation and is already building off of her All-Rookie campaign in 2025. Her 56.3 percent shooting from three-point range to start the year leads the Valkyries, and she’s taken the second-most three pointers so far this season in the league. 
 
Burton has contributed with her passing, hitting 12 assists in Golden State’s win over the Mercury, while also picking up three steals. She was a big factor in the Valkyries’ win over Phoenix, sealing their 2-0 record following the opening weekend. 
Golden State’s bench is also looking good to start the year, which is, again, a huge factor for any team seeking to become a true contender. Their second unit has averaged 42 points per game through two contests and is shooting 52 percent from deep. They’re also averaging 2.5 blocks per game, which is good for second in the league so far. Again, small sample size, but it’s clear that the Valkyries have the depth necessary to go up against other powerhouse squads early on in the year. 
Taking a look at New York, it’s hard not to point out the start that Breanna Stewart has had. She’s leading the team in shot attempts and is still shooting an efficient 47.5 percent from the field overall. With Sabrina Ionescu out to begin the year, it was important that either she, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, or newly-added guard Pauline Astier would pick up the scoring slack, and Stewart has taken that role seriously through two contests. 
New York’s bench has been a bit shakier of a foundation for them compared to that of Golden State’s, but with no Leonie Fiebich or Ionescu during tip-off weekend, that drop-off was expected. Getting Laney-Hamilton back is also a huge plus for the Liberty’s future depth, with the forward an ever-lurking threat from midrange for New York’s guards to play off of. 
Their veteran-heavy roster and ability to match up with just about anyone make them a top threat once again. 
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<h2>5. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire’s Opening Crowds</h2>
If you caught the Toronto Tempo’s first-ever home game against the Washington Mystics, which nearly ended with a ton of drama, then you probably had to turn your television down a few times. The crowd at the Coca-Cola Coliseum was unbelievably loud, which is well-deserved after the team pushed things down to the wire against a talented Mystics squad. 
Portland’s crowd was not only loud, but they added themselves to the history books with a record-breaking 19,335 fans at their season opener. That’s the largest crowd for any inaugural team’s season opener in WNBA history, and a great representation of just how great the demand is for more WNBA basketball. 
While the Fire and Tempo lost their respective opening contests, they’re off on the right foot. They have too much talent to be struggling for long.

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Five Things I Like: WNBA Tip-Off 2026

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Washington Mystics vs. New York Liberty 05/10/2026

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Top Plays of the Day, 05/08/2026

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Final 03:30 WILD ENDING Toronto Tempo vs. Washington Mystics 05/08/2026

Latest

Shakira Austin

PROFESSIONAL
<ul>
<li>Has appeared in 105 ca­reer games (90 starts) in four seasons with Washington</li>
<li>Has averaged 10.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 22.2 minutes per game</li>
<li>On Sept. 4, 2025, she became just the fifth player in Mystics history to record 40 blocks in a single season</li>
<li>Was named to the 2022 WNBA All- Rookie Team</li>
<li>Sixth player in franchise history to make an All-Rookie team as a Mystic</li>
<li>Was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from June 16-22, the first time she has earned this honor in her career</li>
<li>Was named the 2025 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.</li>
</ul>
2025
<ul>
<li>Averaged 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a career-best 1.8 assists in 38 games played</li>
<li>Averaged a career-best 1.1 blocks per game</li>
<li>Her 38 games played marked a career-best</li>
<li>Made her season debut on 5/18 at CON</li>
<li>Recorded a season-high 11 rebounds off the bench on 6/5 vs. NYL and added a career-high four assists</li>
<li>Totaled 15 career performance with 10+ rebounds</li>
<li>Totaled 5+ points, 5+ rebounds in 30 games</li>
<li>Posted 21 games with 10+ points and five or more rebounds</li>
<li>On 6/20 at ATL, recorded a career-high 28 points and added 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season</li>
<li>Became the youngest player in WNBA history (24 y, 330d) to record at least 28 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while shooting 75.0% or better in a game</li>
<li>Scored 20+ points in consecutive games for the first time in her career (6/20-6/22)</li>
<li>Was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from June 16-22, the first time she has earned this honor in her career</li>
<li>Totaled four double-doubles on the season</li>
<li>Scored in double figures in eight consecutive games (6/22-7/10)</li>
<li>Posted 15+ points and 5+ rebounds in nine games (last: 9/4 vs. PHX)</li>
<li>Totaled four 20+ games</li>
<li>Recorded multiple blocks in 12 games (most in a single season in her career)</li>
<li>Totaled 10 multi-steal game this season</li>
<li>Recorded her 1000 career point on Aug. 19</li>
<li>On  Aug. 23, moved into 15th place on the Mystics all-time rebounding list</li>
<li>Became the first player in Mystics history to record 30+ points and 4+ blocks in a single game</li>
<li>On Sept. 4, she became just the fifth player in Mystics history to record 40 blocks in a season, joining: Elena Delle Donne (40, 2018; 40 2019), Emma Meesseman (46; 2015), LaToya Sanders (47, 2019; 48, 2015) and Vicky Bullett (47, 2000; 58, 2001)</li>
<li>Recorded her 100th career block on 9/7 &#8211; becoming one of 10 players in franchise history to peak the 100 career-mark</li>
</ul>
2024
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 12 games (11 starts) for Washington</li>
<li>Averaged career bests in points (11.8), rebounds (6.8), steals (1.3), free-throw makes (3.0), and free-throw attempts (4.5)</li>
<li>Scored in double-figures in nine of her 12 appearances and scored a season-best 24 points on Aug. 20 vs. Seattle</li>
<li>Totaled seven or more rebounds in six games</li>
<li>Grabbed 10+ rebounds on two occasions</li>
<li>Attempted a career-best 15 free-throw attempts on Aug. 20</li>
<li>Totaled one double-double on the season</li>
<li>Had a career-high five blocks on 5/14 vs. NYL</li>
<li>Missed 28 games due to injury</li>
</ul>
2023
<ul>
<li>Appeared in 19 games (17 starts) during her sophomore season</li>
<li>Recorded averages of 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals</li>
<li>Shot the ball at a .500 clip from the field, the second-highest mark on the team</li>
<li>Posted a career-best five double-doubles to lead the team</li>
<li>Improved her points (8.7-&gt;10.0), rebounds (6.5-&gt;7.0), blocks (0.8-&gt;0.9), and steals averages (0.7-&gt;0.8) from her rookie season to her second season</li>
<li>Scored in double-digits in ten games</li>
<li>Recorded a career-high 21 points on 5/21 at Connecticut</li>
<li>Her 0.9 blocks per game ranked first among sophomore players and was tied for most on the team</li>
<li>Posted at least one block in all but four games played this year</li>
<li>Became the sixth-fastest Mystic to 500 points among players who have started their career with the team (55 games)</li>
<li>Missed 16 games (6/28- 8/11) due to a left hip strain</li>
<li>Missed four games (9/3-9/10) with a left hip injury</li>
<li>Missed one game (8/20) for return to play maintenance</li>
</ul>
2022
<ul>
<li>Appeared in all 36 games (32 starts) dur­ing her rookie season</li>
<li>Registered averages of 8.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 21.6 minutes per game</li>
<li>Shot the ball at a .547 clip from the field which ranked second among rookies and sixth in the league</li>
<li>Ranked third among rookies in points (8.7) and second in rebounds (6.4) per game</li>
<li>Led the team in rebounds on 19 occasions</li>
<li>Recorded five-plus rebounds in 28 games, the most amongst rookies and tied for the most such games by a rookie in franchise history</li>
<li>Led the team with six double-figure rebound games, the most by a Mystics rookie in franchise history</li>
<li>Her 12 10+ point and five-plus rebound games marked the most such games by a Mystics rookie since 1999 [Chamique Holdsclaw; 25]</li>
<li>Her four double-doubles tied Alessandra Santos de Oliveira (1998) for the second-most by a Mystics rookie in franchise his­tory</li>
<li>Recorded first career double-double on 5/8 at MIN, joining former Mystics center Alessan­dra Santos de Oliveira as just the second rookie in franchise history to record a double-double through two career games played</li>
</ul>
PLAYOFFS
Totaled two career playoff games (all starts)
<ul>
<li>2023: Missed the 2023 WNBA playoffs with a hip strain</li>
<li>2022: Averaged 7.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in two games played in first round loss to Seattle</li>
</ul>
OVERSEAS/OFF-SEASON
<ul>
<li>Played for the Elitzur Landco Ramla (Israel) during the 2022-23 offseason</li>
<li>Recorded averages of 20.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game</li>
<li>Ranked third in the league with her 20.2 points per game</li>
<li>Helped lead her team to the quarterfi­nals in the EuroCup Women playoffs</li>
<li>Played for Shanxi Flame (China) during the 2025-26 offseason</li>
</ul>
UNRIVALED
<ul>
<li>Played for the Lunar Owls in the inaugural season </li>
<li style="list-style-type: none">
<ul>
<li>In 14 games, averaged  8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 9.2 minutes of action</li>
<li>Scored a season-high 17 points on Mar. 7 vs. Rose and totaled 10+ points in four games</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Played for Rose BC in 2026
<ul>
<li>In 15 games (nine starts), averaged 15.0 points on 54.6% shooting and 8.6 rebounds</li>
<li>On 2/7 vs. Vinyl, grabbed 18 rebounds, tied for Unrivaled’s highest mark of the season, and had five blocks, tied for the second-most in league history</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
INTERNATIONAL
<ul>
<li>Participant at the 2024 USA 3&#215;3 Women&#8217;s National Team Development camp Nov. 8-10 in Phoenix</li>
<li>Was named to the 2024 USA Women’s National Team April training camp roster in Cleveland</li>
<li>Selected for 2026 USA 3×3 Women’s Champions Cup team
<ul>
<li>Totaled 25 points and 27 rebounds en route to a 4-1 record and a bronze medal in Bangkok</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
TRANSACTIONS
<ul>
<li>Was selected with the third overall pick by the Mystics in the 2022 WNBA Draft</li>
<li>Re-signed with Washington on April 13, 2026.</li>
</ul>
COLLEGE
2021-22
<ul>
<li>AP Honorable Mention All-America</li>
<li>USBC Honorable Mention All- America</li>
<li>WCBA Honorable Mention All-America</li>
<li>First-Team All SEC</li>
<li>Eighth Rebel to earn consecutive First-Team All-SEC honors</li>
<li>Gil­lom Trophy Award Winner</li>
<li>SEC All-Tournament Team</li>
<li>Lisa Leslie Award Top-10 Watchlist</li>
<li>Naismith Award Midseason Team</li>
<li>Preseason All-SEC First Team – Coaches</li>
<li>Preseason All- SEC First Team – Media</li>
<li>Wade Award Watch List</li>
<li>Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 Watch List</li>
<li>Naismith Award Watch List</li>
<li>Lisa Les­lie Award Preseason Watch List</li>
<li>Raising the B.A.R. Invitational Tournament Most Valuable Player</li>
<li>Started in all 32 games</li>
<li>Finished the season averaging 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.2 steals per game while shooting at a .463 clip from the field</li>
<li>10 double-doubles, her second consecutive season with 10 plus</li>
<li>13 games with 10 or more rebounds</li>
<li>Third in the SEC in rebounds per game</li>
<li>Led the Rebels in points in 16 games, and rebounds in 22</li>
<li>10 20-point outings</li>
<li>18 multi-block games</li>
<li>66 blocks on the year to rank third most by a Rebel in a single-season</li>
<li>Set an Ole Miss SEC Tour­nament record with six rejections in the Quarter­finals against Florida</li>
<li>Only Rebel in the last seven seasons to notch 20 or more points and 15 rebounds in a single game</li>
<li>Eclipsed the 1,000-career rebound mark against Texas A&amp;M</li>
</ul>

The Washington Mystics matched Shakira Austin's offer sheet from the Toronto Tempo.

The  Toronto Tempo tendered an offer sheet to Shakira Austin.

The Washington Mystics extended a Restricted qualifying offer to Shakira Austin.

Totals four stocks in loss

Totals 12 points in blowout loss

Nears double-double in win

Notches double-double vs. NY

Double-doubles vs. Toronto

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