The Washington Mystics suffered insult to injury in Sunday’s tough overtime loss to the New York Liberty. Second-year center Shakira Austin had to be carried off the court after suffering a scary non-contact injury.
Austin chased down a loose ball after she jumped a pass from Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. Looking to get out and run on a clear breakaway, Austin stumbled as she came up on the ball. Her leg buckled as it planted. She immediately grabbed at the high back of her leg.
Players reached out to console her as she writhed in pain. Mystics teammates Natasha Cloud and Brittney Sykes rushed to her aid. Cloud helped carry Austin off the court to the locker room as she couldn’t put weight on her leg.
Mystics head coach Eric Thibault said Austin suffered a hip strain. She will be evaluated when the team gets back to D.C., per Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington.
After a strong rookie season, Austin’s imprint is larger in her sophomore year. Entering Sunday’s contest, Shakira Austin was second on the team in scoring with 11.8 points per game through 12 games. She led the Mystics with 8.0 rebounds per game and 51.8% shooting from the field.
Austin has become the perfect complement to star Ellen Delle Donne. The Mystics’ fingers are crossing their fingers for the best outcome on the prognosis of Shakira Austin’s injury.
