Shakira Austin, Ole Miss center, picked No. 3 by Washington Mystics in 2022 WNBA Draft
OXFORD — After two years at Ole Miss, where she helped turn the program from bottom-dweller to contender, forward Shakira Austin has found her WNBA home.
Austin was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics on Monday. The two-time All-SEC forward is the sixth Ole Miss product to ever be picked in the WNBA Draft and the first since Bianca Thomas in 2010.
For Austin, the chance to play for the Mystics means a chance to go home. The 6-foot-5 center grew up in Fredericksburg, Virginia, about an hour south of Washington, D.C.
"It's just amazing, knowing the work I've put in to finally get to this moment and get to play back home, but knowing that my slate starts over," Austin said. "I'm back at zero. I'm just remaining humble, continuing to work and believing the work I put in and knowing that the journey I got here was because of the work I put in."
Austin transferred to Ole Miss from Maryland before the 2020-21 season. In her two seasons on campus, Austin quickly became one of the most productive centers in the SEC. She averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in her first season, leading the Rebels to the finals of the WNIT. As a senior, she averaged 15.2 points, nine rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game as Ole Miss earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007.
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In the year prior to Austin's arrival, Ole Miss was winless in SEC play. Her arrival coincided with Ole Miss' 2020 recruiting class, which ranked No. 1 in the SEC, and helped turn around the Rebels' program.
"Ole Miss prepared me the best possible way they could," Austin said. "I think it was more off the court which allowed me to really tune in to being a professional. I think me being the star player, me being somebody who had to show up every day is a role I never had to experience before. A new phase, a new journey, that I was able to learn from."
Former Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard was the first selection in the WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream.
The Mystics last won the WNBA Championship in 2019. Austin will get to play with two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne in the frontcourt.
Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss' Shakira Austin picked by Washington Mystics in 2022 WNBA Draft
