The Unrivaled never fails to surprise fans. Just as when the defending champions, Rose BC, looked down under, they snatched an important win, keeping them in the playoff contention. Starters Shakira Austin, Chelsea Grey, and Kahleah Copper delivered on the night.
In the absence of Angel Reese, the Mystics’ star was a key player on the roster, and Austin thriving next to Chelsea Gray handed a blueprint for the WNBA franchise for the upcoming season. Thrilled by the win, though, the 25-year-old forward dropped a curse word and later corrected it.
Shakira Austin Draws Epic Reaction From Crowd With Use Of a Curse Word
The Rose BC had a 62-38 lead at the end of the third quarter and looked like the game’s certain winner. But Vinyl BC pushed them to the limit with their defensive stops and scoring off transition. Chelsea Gray’s winner settled the nerves for the side, handed them their fifth win of the season.
Reflecting on the season and current win, Austin said, “We never gave up. It was a tough stretch of losses, but we just put our head down, continued to work, continued to figure this sh*t out…”
Shakira Austin forgot that we were on live television 💀 pic.twitter.com/SAqh7kimom
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) February 8, 2026
Fans in the arena quickly reminded her of a live interview, making noise about the curse word. The player, who also understood the mistake, as a 2022 WNBA rookie, changed the sentence to ‘figure out stuff,’ but fans still cheered the part, reminding her of her mishap.
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The side ranked down in the latest unrivalled power ranking and recent win will add to their confidence and stock in the league.
On the WNBA end, though, the Washington Mystics will be the biggest winners due to Unrivaled Season 2, as it has four of its key players, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Sugg Sutton, and Austin, playing in the 3-on-3 format, honing new skills. The former Ole Miss star is also looking to adjust her offense.
Shakira Austin Using Different Technique For Unrivaled
Saturday night’s performance was just one of many scoring nights for Austin. She scored a career high of 31 points and also recorded a 29-point double-double in the season. While she was efficient on the night, she opened up on one thing that changed her game.
Answering the skills she will use more in Unrivaled as opposed to the WNBA, Austin said, “Being able to initiate and create just off of transition…kind of having the defense be one stop back thinking I’m going to attack and then coming into a handoff.”
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The player also added that she will continue using similar tactics in the WNBA also. With four improved players back in the lineup, the Mystics will be hoping for a playoff in the upcoming season.