Shakira Austin Breaks Down ‘Seatbelt’ Effort Against Angel Reese
Angel Reese scored at least fourteen points and recorded a double-double in four consecutive games after the All-Star break. That streak came to an end in a 79-74 loss to the Washington Mystics. She finished the game with 16 rebounds, but only scored seven points on 1-12 shooting from the field. The Mystics’ frontcourt of Shakira Austin, Kiki Iriafen, and Lauren Betts gave her trouble all game long.
When Austin was asked about the Mystics’ defense against Reese in the postgame media availability, her first response was “seatbelt,” followed by some laughter.
I asked Shakira Austin how the Mystics held Angel Reese to 1/12 from the field:
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) August 8, 2026
“Seatbelt … She takes a lot of effort to defend, continues to go after the rebound. I think it’s just timing it up. She’s very physical, likes the contact. Kind of the same as trying to guard Bri… pic.twitter.com/8orrjZyaTL
She also added, “She takes a lot of effort to defend with continuously going after rebounds, and I think just timing it up. She’s very physical. She likes the contact. So, I think kind of the same as I would guard Bri Jones. They initiate the contact, they like the physicality. So, sometimes, when you separate and don’t give them that, it kind of messes up their rhythm.”
Reese got one bucket over Austin late in the first quarter, but missed every other shot. Austin also managed to block three of Reese’s shots.
It was a great defensive effort for the Mystics overall
Washington didn’t just slow down Reese. The Dream shot just 32% from the field and 29% from deep. Three starters, Reese, Naz Hillmon, and Jordin Canada, finished with fewer than ten points, and Canada, who usually takes good care of the ball, turned it over five times.
The Mystics combined for a franchise record 12 blocks. Austin had five of them—almost as many as all Dream players combined. Lauren Betts pitched in three, and Cassandre Prosper got two.
With Reese and Brionna Jones both struggling from the field—Jones went 2-8 and finished with four points—the Mystics managed to hold the Dream to just 34 points in the paint. They average a league-high 44.1 points in the paint per game.
Washington is on an impressive win streak
The Mystics closed out the pre-All-Star stretch of the season with statement wins against the Golden State Valkyries and Las Vegas Aces. Obviously determined to keep the momentum going and solidify themselves as a playoff team, the Mystics extended their win streak to six with last night’s win.
They only beat one non-playoff team over that stretch. The Valkyries, Aces, Dallas Wings, and Dream were all above them in the standings going into the games.
With six wins and five over playoff teams, the Mystics have climbed from eighth place to sixth, pushing the New York Liberty into the final playoff spot and overtaking the Wings.
Shakira Austin has been on a tear on both ends of the floor, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are playing like the All-Stars they are, rookies Cotie McMahon and Lauren Betts are finding their rhythm, and the Mystics still have the third-best defensive rating in the W. They are quickly growing into a team no one will want to face in the playoffs. They may not have the experience to beat a team like the Minnesota Lynx or Las Vegas Aces, but no team with championship aspirations wants to face a physical, pesky, defensive-minded team that will fight hard in every game.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.