The Mystics were in trouble early. Portland jumped out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter, and for a stretch it looked like Washington's playoff hopes were going to have to wait another night. Then Shakira Austin decided otherwise.
Shakira Austin put together a strong 1H, finishing with a game-high 15 PTS to go along with 5 REB & 2 BLK 💪 The Fire lead the Mystics at halftime on WNBA League Pass.
Austin was already cooking by halftime, putting up a game-high 15 points to go with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks even as Portland held the lead. She didn't slow down. By the final buzzer she'd piled up a career-high 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting, plus 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, dragging Washington back from a 14-point hole to a 105-100 win. Kiki Iriafen chipped in 18 points and 10 boards, Sonia Citron added 14, and Georgia Amoore iced it with two free throws with 4.2 seconds left.
Shakira Austin sets a new career-high in PTS to help the @WashMystics clinch a spot in the postseason 🙌 31 PTS (game-high) 11-18 FGM 10 REB 2 BLK (game-high) https://t.co/ekmAL8QMf6
That win did more than just improve Washington to 22-15. Paired with a Chicago Sky loss, it locked up the Mystics' first playoff appearance since 2023, when they went out in the first round to the Liberty. This roster looks nothing like that one. Austin, Iriafen and Citron represent a full-on youth movement, and Sunday was the clearest proof yet that the rebuild has legs.
Congrats to the @WashMystics for clinching a spot in the postseason 👏
For a franchise that's spent the last couple years in the lottery, punching the ticket back to the postseason is a genuine milestone — and doing it on the back of a career night from a young center is exactly the kind of story Washington's front office was hoping for when it started leaning on this group. The league took notice too.
The seeding still has to shake out, but the Mystics are officially playoff-bound, and Austin just made herself part of the conversation for anyone tracking breakout bigs down the stretch. Where Washington lands in the bracket is the next thing to watch — but for one night, the story was simply a 31-point career high that saved the season.