Shakira Austin put together a true breakout season with the Washington Mystics. She averaged 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks and earned All-WNBA and All-Defensive honors. The 26-year-old was one of the few veterans on the Mystics’ young roster and led the charge in their playoff pursuit.
Between Austin, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen, the Mystics have three young stars who are ready for the next step. To take that step, the Mystics need to add some offensive firepower in free agency.
When Austin appeared on the November 11 episode of Post Moves with Aliyah Boston and Candace Parker, she was asked to name one player she’d like to team up with. She chose Kelsey Mitchell.
Mitchell just averaged 24.7 points per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 45% from deep. The Mystics couldn’t find a better pure scorer to supercharge their offense this offseason.
The idea of Mitchell joining the Mystics is not far-fetched at all. She is an unrestricted free agent and has hinted at the possibility of leaving Indiana. If she’s ready to move on, she’ll want to play for another potential contender. The Mystics should be a legitimate contender very soon, especially if they can add a veteran star in free agency.
Most importantly, the Mystics have the cap space to offer Mitchell a max contract—not the supermax the Fever can offer her, but still a ton of money. The only players not on rookie contracts in 2027 are Austin and Michaela Onyenwere. Austin has a max contract, and Onyenwere makes $735,000, leaving the Mystics plenty of cap space to go star hunting.
Mitchell would be a fascinating fit in Washington
The Mystics need to improve their 3-point shooting, playmaking, and overall scoring. Mitchell wouldn’t do much to improve their playmaking, but there are other ways to do that via another free-agent pickup, a trade, or drafting Hannah Hidalgo with the lottery pick they’re getting from the Chicago Sky.
Mitchell would improve the Mystics’ 3-point shooting and give Austin, Iriafen, and Lauren Betts more space to operate in the paint. She would also give them a true go-to scorer to help out Citron in clutch moments.
The Mystics also have a better defensive infrastructure than the Indiana Fever and wouldn’t have to ask much from Mitchell on that end of the floor.
Since they have the cap space, there’s no reason for the Mystics not to call up Mitchell’s agent and explore any potential interest on her part. With their size, physicality, and top-two defense, they would be truly terrifying with a superstar scorer like Mitchell.
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