Shakira Austin is a restricted free agent, but given the fact that she just had a career season and the Mystics’ traded Aaliyah Edwards to the Sun, fans should expect GM Jamila Wideman to re-sign her when free agency finally starts. Between Austin, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and their next lottery pick, the Mystics have a great foundation for a future contender.
They also still have some holes to fill, though. Austin, who is playing in Unrivaled this season, made it pretty clear that she thinks playing with a great point guard would help her development. Her Unrivaled coach, Nola Henry, has been adamant that Austin is only scratching the surface.
When asked about her coach’s comments, Austin said, “I definitely agree that I haven’t scratched the surface at all with what I can do. I’ve just been playing with a great point guard. I haven’t really played with one in a long time. So, just getting some easy stuff, but there’s definitely a lot more that I want to capitalize on.”
Between Austin, Irifen, and Citron, the Mystics have a great wing and a talented frontcourt duo. Last year, they also drafted Georgia Amoore, who missed her rookie season with a torn ACL. Amoore averaged 5.5 assists per game over her five college seasons, including a career-high 6.9 in her last year. So, now the question is whether the Mystics believe that Amoore can bring that same playmaking to the WNBA and be the team’s point guard of the future, or if they need to find someone else.
Unrivaled spoiled Austin by pairing her with Chelsea Gray
After playing for the Lunar Owls last season, Austin was selected by Nola Henry to join the Rose. The team also features Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Lexie Hull, Sug Sutton, and Azurá Stevens.
Gray is the most accomplished point guard in the WNBA right now and one of the best passers in the game. She is a four-time WNBA champion, the 2022 Finals MVP, and a six-time All-Star. Last season, Gray also led the Rose to an Unrivaled championship and was named Finals MVP.
There aren’t many point guards who can do what Gray does. Among potentially available young players, Olivia Miles might be the closest purely from a passing standpoint. She still has a lot of work to do to improve defensively, but Miles is the best passer in college basketball. She already dished out ten or more assists in five games this season. However, Miles may not be available anymore when the Mystics get to make their lottery pick. They have the fourth overall pick, and the Lynx and Storm could both use a young point guard like Miles.