​WASHINGTON — Shakira Austin has been doing her best impression of the WNBA’s best guards.Smooth handles out on the perimeter, drives to the basket (which have been part of her game for a while) and efficient shooting from 3 that still hasn’t faded 26 attempts in.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShe is proving that she has all the tools to be a superstar, given that she already had the rebounding, defense and inside scoring as a 6-foot-5 center.The timing of her latest exploits Sunday afternoon at CareFirst Arena held significant meaning, as it was her first time taking the court since the 2026 All-Star rosters were finalized—without her on the list.Austin went for 27 points (three off her career-high) to pace her Washington Mystics, who went on a 16-4 run in the fourth quarter, to go from down six points to up six, and held on for an 84-79 victory over a weak Seattle Storm team that they really needed to beat.The Mystics’ now-two-time-reigning sophomore All-Stars, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, together affectionately known as “Kitron,” have overshadowed Austin. Many thought Washington wouldn’t try to hold on to Austin this year with Iriafen and presumed (and eventual) No. 4 draft pick Lauren Betts crowding the frontcourt.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut Austin is from Fredericksburg, VA, about an hour away from DC, and went to high school in Upper Marlboro, MD, about half an hour away. DC has been her only home as a WNBA player. In her fifth year, she is by far the longest-tenured Mystic, and her loyalty to the team and passion for representing the area are showing up in her play on the court this year, leaving me wanting to remind everyone that, “Hey, this is Shakira’s team too!”Here’s what Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said about Austin missing out on the All-Star Game:I’m thrilled that Sonia and Kiki were voted All-Stars, I love it. We think we have another one in Shakira. We really do. Her growth as a player … it’s amazing. There’s growth not only skill set-wise and stuff that we’re doing in the gym, but also just her maturity and being able to have a slower start and to keep playing and to level-set. Those are all parts of growing as a player.We all know that Shakira is DC through and through. And the growth that she’s had, well before I got here, to last season and this season, I don’t know what to tell you. And when you go out there and we play these games, she’s about as good as any of them that come through, and there’s some really good ones in this league, we know that. … Big Red is playing ball, we’re really happy that she’s here.Although the Storm have a 6-19 record, they have some of the top young talent in the league, as well as a star vet who is having the best season of her career in Natisha Hiedeman. Seattle looked pretty good for much of Sunday and were certainly effective in shutting down the Mystics’ comebacks for most of the contest.AdvertisementAdvertisem