WNBA to Punish Former Team USA Star After Chicago Sky Game

Sports admin September 18, 2026 0 Comments

WNBA to Punish Former Team USA Star After Chicago Sky Game

Shakira Austin was sensational for the Washington Mystics in their 110-80 blowout win over the Chicago Sky on Thursday. The 26-year-old center recorded 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, along with seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.

Austin, who played for Team USA in the 2022 World Cup, made history in the process. She set a new franchise record for the most points in a single season with 677, officially surpassing Sonia Citron’s mark of 657 points from 2025.

With the win, the Mystics improved to 25-16 on the season, keeping them at No. 6 in the WNBA standings.

While it was definitely a statement win for the Mystics in their return from the WNBA break, it wasn’t without issues. Austin put herself in a position to receive punishment from the league.

Midway through the third quarter, Austin muscled her way to the rim for a basket over Sky center Kamilla Cardoso. However, the referee quickly hit her with a technical foul after she spiked the ball and shouted “and-one” following the play.

The WNBA rules state that a player’s first three technical fouls each carry a $500 fine. It was Austin’s third tech of the season.

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Shakira was t’d up after striking the ball and yelling and-one #wnba#shakiraaustin#washingtonmystics

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Since the Mystics have only three games left in the season, it doesn’t seem like Austin will have to worry about reaching the technical foul limit of eight. However, she will still want to avoid getting any more techs since her next one will carry a higher fine.

The fourth through seventh techs are punishable by a $1,000 fine. The WNBA also sends a warning letter to a player once they reach five technical fouls.

Related: Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston Sends Message to Team USA Star