Sometimes a simple question can create an unexpectedly awkward moment, especially when the answer involves a teammate of the person asking it, and a player entering free agency. Shakira Austin recently found herself in that situation when a playful exchange with Aliyah Boston led to her naming Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell as her dream teammate, leaving Boston scrambling to contain her reaction.
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During the rapid-fire segment of her appearance on Boston’s Post Moves podcast, Austin was asked to name one player she would love to play alongside. The Washington Mystics star took a moment to consider her answer before settling on Mitchell, who has been Boston’s teammate for Boston’s entire career.
“I was thinking. I ain’t going to lie. No shade but Kelsey Mitchell,” Austin said, before Boston realized the implications of the answer.
Boston joked, “Not too much. Not too much shade. Slow it down. We going to cut this out the… We got to edit this, y’all.”
Candace Parker also joined in, suggesting Boston had essentially set up Austin with the question, while the Washington center jokingly admitted that it was a bad answer.
There was no indication from Austin’s words that Washington was actively recruiting Mitchell, but the choice is notable considering the guard’s present situation.
Mitchell is entering an offseason that could change the direction of her career. After nine seasons with the Fever, she is an unrestricted free agent, which means that she has the ability to choose her next team for the first time.
Indiana used the core designation for her during both 2025 and 2026, which let the team retain exclusive negotiation rights. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Mitchell is not eligible to be cored, so she is unrestricted in 2027.
Her production gives Indiana plenty of reasons to keep her, but it also makes her one of the most attractive commodities on the market. Mitchell averaged 24.7 points per game in 2026, setting a single-season scoring record with 1,086 points. She also knocked down 135 three-pointers, another league record.
What has prompted Mitchell to consider departing from Indiana is apparent in her exit interviews. She acknowledged that she had never needed to think about playing for another team and had a lot to evaluate before making her decision.
“I’ve got to be selfish where my career is going, in terms of what’s important to me,” she said.
“Whether it be winning, whether it be my own individual success. I worked my tail off to be here, so whatever I do, it’s gonna come from a selfish standpoint. I’ll be honest about that.”
Austin’s interest in playing next to Mitchell becomes even more intriguing given the progress the Mystics made in 2026. After going 16-28 in 2025, the team reached the playoffs with one of the youngest rosters in WNBA history, finishing with a 28-16 record.
Austin played a major role in that turnaround. The center averaged career highs in several categories, including points (17.0) and rebounds (9.5), and secured a spot on the All-WNBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team, while also finishing second in voting for the Most Improved Player.
She isn’t the only player to make a strong impression. Former top-five picks Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have quickly become solid pieces alongside Austin, giving Washington a promising foundation for a playoff contender. Citron averaged 16.8 points and 4.4 assists, while Iriafen contributed 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds.
However, the Mystics have room to improve. Despite finishing second in defensive rating behind the 2026 champion Golden State Valkyries, the team was ranked 12th in offensive rating during the regular season, highlighting the need for a reliable, go-to scoring option. Mitchell’s shot creation and floor-stretching ability address that weakness while taking the offensive burden away from Austin, Citron, and Iriafen. Washington’s young core could also use an experienced leader like nine-year veteran Mitchell.
On top of that, the team also has an advantage on the salary front. According to Spotrac, Washington currently has 10 players on the roster for 2027, committing about $4.86 million to them. Austin is set to earn $1.19 million, while Citron and Iriafen are both on rookie-scale deals worth about $479,000 and $447,000 each.
This means that Washington can offer maximum contract money to Mitchell, a mark she met last season. She earned $1.4 million with the Fever on a supermax contract, and Washington has both roster spots and cap space.
Still, the center’s choice highlights an appealing partnership, and with Mitchell preparing to test free agency as the Mystics look to take another step forward, the guard-center tandem of Austin and Mitchell could be an interesting one.