"Desperate for somebody to be a hater": Aaliyah Edwards' teammate Shakira Austin seemingly takes thinly veiled jab at Angel Reese's fans

Mystics center Shakira Austin seemed to throw shade at Angel Reese’s supporters after reports surfaced that Washington is open to trading Aaliyah Edwards, the player they selected over Reese with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Austin has consistently backed the team’s choice of Edwards, who was taken one spot ahead of Reese.

On Tuesday, ESPN reported that several teams have reached out to the Mystics to express interest in Edwards, and the team is listening. Edwards has struggled to carve out playing time in a frontcourt already featuring Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin and veteran Stefanie Dolson.

Austin, however, reiterated her support for her teammate with a post on X:

“Ain’t nothing change (sic) lol imma ride for my teammates especially when all fans do is talk…I’ll speak up for themmmm🤣🤣😇yall so desperate for somebody to be a hater please find a life.”

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As a rookie, Edwards posted averages of 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game, starting 17 of 34 contests. This season, her numbers are down to 4.9 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 14.1 mpg off the bench.

Rookie Kiki Iriafen has stepped into her role, putting up 12.9 ppg and 8.4 rpg while helping lead the Mystics to an 8-9 record alongside fellow newcomer Sonia Citron.

Austin has previously clashed with Angel Reese fans, including after a Mystics win over the Sky last season.

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Shakira Austin earns career milestone with recent stretch

Shakira Austin made Mystics history by being named the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played June 16-22 — her first time receiving the honor.

She led Washington to a 2-1 record during that span, averaging 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 steals per game, shooting an efficient 58.5%.

Her standout performance came on June 20 against the Atlanta Dream, where she poured in a career-high 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

Austin followed that up with 21 points and seven rebounds in an overtime victory over Dallas — the first time in her career she posted back-to-back 20+ point games.

She became the ninth player in franchise history to be named Player of the Week.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro