The CIA, Shakira Austin’s Breakout, and Washington’s Roster Flexibility
Despite falling short against Atlanta in the playoffs, the Mystics' “CIA” big 3 of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin proved all season why the league needs to respect what is brewing in Washington.
From Sydney Johnson’s post-draft press conference to the end of the season, the Mystics were adamant about improving across the organization while keeping their joy through the grind of a pro sports season.
That mindset only strengthened as the Mystics' stars and returning players bought in and led by example.
The CIA led the charge on the court, ranking top three in minutes played per game (Citron 33.0, Austin 29.4, Iriafen 28.1) and points per game for the Mystics (Austin 17.0, Citron 16.8, Iriafen 15.3), all while leading a top three defense.
Iriafen and Austin also combined for 19.1 rebounds per game as the Mystics led the league on the boards.
This high level of production set the tone for Washington to be ahead of schedule in wins as they set a franchise record with 28 regular-season wins and accelerated the development of the youngest roster in the WNBA.
While Kiki and Sonia took their own steps in the right direction as they were named All-Stars for the second straight season, and won Gold with Team USA in Berlin as replacement players, Shakira Austin’s ability to find a new gear in her game, despite some award snubs, truly sped up the process in D.C.
The Emergence of Shakira Austin
Throughout the season, coach Sydney Johnson raved to the media about Shakira Austin, who played at an All-WNBA level despite not getting an All-Star nod and, quite frankly, any other form of accolades as of this moment outside of a 4th and 5th place MVP vote (All-WNBA teams have not been announced yet).
Austin was one of only three players in the league to average 17 points and nine boards while also being top five in the league with a 98.7 (per statmuse) defensive rating.
In the playoffs, Atlanta severely limited Austin's effectiveness and highlighted just how important she is to the Mystics' success.
Without Austin playing at her highest level, the Mystics lacked the punch to hang with an Atlanta team that is currently one win away from the WNBA finals.
Shakira credited her growth to her health this season as it provided her with more opportunity on the floor.
With the Mystics' ability to rotate their frontcourt pieces and provide adequate rest, it’s easy to see that Austin has the potential to improve on what was already a stellar 2026 campaign.
Potential Roster Impact
The CIA’s impact extends from the lines of the court to the Mystics’ financial ledger.
The biggest impact of having a trio this talented, and two of the three (Citron, Iriafen) on rookie deals, is that the Mystics have plenty of financial flexibility in what I would call an initial competing window from now until 2028, which is when the current core has some big questions to answer financially.
Citron and Iriafen have another year on their deals plus a team option in 2028, and Shakira Austin, who signed a 3-year, $3,570,000 extension heading into the 2026 season, is the only max-contract player in DC right now.
The Mystics have another lottery pick to add to the squad in 2027 as a result of the Ariel Atkins trade inolving a 2027 first-round pick swap with Chicago, and a decision to make on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason, but are in a stellar spot based on the development of their youth.
The CIA core offers some initial financial flexibility, and could allow the Mystics to bring in a big name free agent to bolster the unit.
While we look toward what the future can hold, and this will be addressed in future posts this WNBA offseason, it’s important to understand that the talent on the floor, led by the Mystics' big three of Citron, Iriafen, and Austin, has the organization set up for a successful future.
