The WNBA's Most Improved Player award for 2026 isn't the foregone conclusion of some of the league's other awards. Multiple players remain in contention for the award, though in my mind, one player stands out: Washington Mystics big Shakira Austin.
What's Austin done to make herself stand out, and who are the top players that she's beating out for the award at the moment?
Shakira Austin is the Most Improved favorite
Shakira Austin's case for Most Improved Player is an example of why many think the most impressive leap a player can make is from "very good" to "star player."
Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | 3-Point Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 12.7 | 6.4 | 13.3 |
2026 | 16.6 | 9.6 | 36.2 |
Austin has taken on added responsibility this season and the results have shown that the Mystics were right to keep her around despite having young bigs Kiki Iriafen and Lauren Betts. Since Sonia Citron cooling off a bit from her hot start, Austin has been Washington's best player, and she's helped turn the Mystics into arguably the biggest surprise team in the league, with the franchise sitting sixth in the overall standings with a 21-14 record despite most people thinking this season would still be part of the team's rebuild.
Notably, she's been more efficient this season despite also having her usage scaled up. Austin's 26.9 percent usage rate ranks 15th in the league, and while she isnt the league's most efficient scorer or anything, the fact she's improved from last season is notable.
Austin's defensive impact has been especially huge, as her 2.3 defensive win shares lead the WNBA. Her ability to protect the rim while also having the athleticism to survive switches has been a key part of Washington's success on that end, with the team ranking second in the WNBA in defensive rating.
Who else is in contention for the WNBA's MIP award?
Despite the argument for Austin, Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard is the current betting favorite. So, why not have her as my favorite? I mean, Shepard was an All-Star this season.
My reasoning is simple: Austin has improved tremendously on both ends of the floor, while virtually all of Shepard's improvement has come on offense. Defensively, her lack of rim protection makes her a liability, and while her numbers overall have improved this year, Shepard's improvement feels a little more like an illusion than Austin's. I'm convinced Austin is going to continue to be a star after this season. I can't say the same about Shepard.
Marina Mabrey and Carla Leite are in contention as well. Mabrey's 20.8 points per game represent a career-best mark and she's shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, also her best number. The issue is that I'm not sure Mabrey has really "improved" this year. Rather, Toronto has just put her in a role where she can put up bigger numbers while still, largely, being the player she's always been.
Leite, meanwhile, has leapt from fringe player to starter-caliber guard in a way that could definitely garner some votes. Given a new role in Portland, Leite has lived up to her pre-draft potential. It's just a bad year for her chances as three other players have made leaps to higher levels than Leite, even if Leite's improvements have perhaps been the most surprising.
Add us as a preferred source on Google