Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Adds Maryland Transfer Shakira Austin
4/16/2020 | Women's Basketball
Austin Started 47 Games in Two Big Ten Championship Runs at Maryland
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has announced the addition of Maryland transfer Shakira Austin, the second new Rebel added to the roster in as many days as part of the beginning of the spring signing period.
Austin, a 6-foot-5 forward, was a significant piece of the puzzle at national powerhouse Maryland, playing in 66 games and starting in 47 during two Big Ten championship runs in 2019 and 2020 during which the Terrapins went a combined 57-9 overall. Along the way, the former No. 3 national high school prospect and McDonald's All-American broke Maryland's single-season blocks record with 89 her freshman season and was named Second-Team All-Big Ten her sophomore season. Austin was also named to the 2019-20 Preseason Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, which is given annually to the top center in the nation.
"I believe that in order to compete at this level, you have to have pros on your roster, and Shakira is that," McPhee-McCuin said. "She is a hybrid forward that has guard skills who will only get better during her time here at Ole Miss. At 6'5 she can guard any position defensively, and offensively the variety of ways she will be able to score will be unmatched. The addition of Kira along with the rest of our signees has put us in a position to compete at a high level instantaneously. To say we're excited to have her would be an understatement. The city of Oxford will want to get behind this team now and for years to come."
Austin is the latest addition to what has turned out to be a high-powered Ole Miss signing class for the 2020-21 season. On Wednesday, Ole Miss announced the addition of sharp-shooting junior transfer Tiya Douglas from Trinity Valley Community College, and on National Signing Day last November, Ole Miss signed four freshmen that put the Rebels on the map with the No. 1 signing class in the SEC and No. 13 class in the nation. Those freshmen include five-star prospects Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Mississippi/Thomas E. Edwards High School) and Madison Scott (Indian Head, Maryland/Bishop McNamara High School), as well as Snudda Collins (Brookhaven, Mississippi/Brookhaven High School) and Caitlin McGee (Jacksonville, Florida/Sandalwood High School). McGee enrolled at Ole Miss this past spring and joined the team after graduating high school early.
Shakira Austin • Junior • Forward • 6-5
Fredericksburg, Va. • Riverdale Baptist • Maryland
• Significant contributor of two Big Ten championship teams at Maryland in 2019 and 2020
• Played in 66 games, starting 47
• Averaged 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, while shooting 47.2 percent overall
• Leaves Maryland with 668 points, 542 rebounds and 130 blocks in her career
• Broke Maryland's single-season blocks record with 89 her freshman season
• 15 career double-doubles
• In career, has had multiple blocks in 26 games, 10 or more rebounds in 22 games
• No. 1 nationally in 2019-20 in advanced analytic On-Court Forced Turnover Rate (via Pivot Analysis)
• 2020 Second-Team All-Big Ten
• 2019-20 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
• 2018-19 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
• 2019 Coaches Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
• 2019 All-Big Ten Defensive Team
• 2019 All-Big Ten Freshman Team
• 5x Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2018-19
• USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Jan. 15, 2019
• ESPN's No. 3 overall prospect and No. 2 forward coming out of Riverdale Baptist
• McDonald's All-American
• WBCA High School All-American
• Played in the Jordan Brand Classic Game, where she was MVP of the away team with 18 points and 14 rebounds
• Played junior and sophomore years at Colonial Forge High School
• Averaged 18.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a junior and blocked 88 shots
• Led Colonial Forge team to Class 6A state title as a junior
• Named The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star Player of the Year in her junior season
• Played freshman year at James Monroe High School
• Invited to USA Basketball U18 Team Trials in May 2018
• Majoring in communications
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin
Austin, a 6-foot-5 forward, was a significant piece of the puzzle at national powerhouse Maryland, playing in 66 games and starting in 47 during two Big Ten championship runs in 2019 and 2020 during which the Terrapins went a combined 57-9 overall. Along the way, the former No. 3 national high school prospect and McDonald's All-American broke Maryland's single-season blocks record with 89 her freshman season and was named Second-Team All-Big Ten her sophomore season. Austin was also named to the 2019-20 Preseason Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, which is given annually to the top center in the nation.
"I believe that in order to compete at this level, you have to have pros on your roster, and Shakira is that," McPhee-McCuin said. "She is a hybrid forward that has guard skills who will only get better during her time here at Ole Miss. At 6'5 she can guard any position defensively, and offensively the variety of ways she will be able to score will be unmatched. The addition of Kira along with the rest of our signees has put us in a position to compete at a high level instantaneously. To say we're excited to have her would be an understatement. The city of Oxford will want to get behind this team now and for years to come."
Austin is the latest addition to what has turned out to be a high-powered Ole Miss signing class for the 2020-21 season. On Wednesday, Ole Miss announced the addition of sharp-shooting junior transfer Tiya Douglas from Trinity Valley Community College, and on National Signing Day last November, Ole Miss signed four freshmen that put the Rebels on the map with the No. 1 signing class in the SEC and No. 13 class in the nation. Those freshmen include five-star prospects Jacorriah Bracey (Drew, Mississippi/Thomas E. Edwards High School) and Madison Scott (Indian Head, Maryland/Bishop McNamara High School), as well as Snudda Collins (Brookhaven, Mississippi/Brookhaven High School) and Caitlin McGee (Jacksonville, Florida/Sandalwood High School). McGee enrolled at Ole Miss this past spring and joined the team after graduating high school early.
Shakira Austin • Junior • Forward • 6-5
Fredericksburg, Va. • Riverdale Baptist • Maryland
• Significant contributor of two Big Ten championship teams at Maryland in 2019 and 2020
• Played in 66 games, starting 47
• Averaged 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, while shooting 47.2 percent overall
• Leaves Maryland with 668 points, 542 rebounds and 130 blocks in her career
• Broke Maryland's single-season blocks record with 89 her freshman season
• 15 career double-doubles
• In career, has had multiple blocks in 26 games, 10 or more rebounds in 22 games
• No. 1 nationally in 2019-20 in advanced analytic On-Court Forced Turnover Rate (via Pivot Analysis)
• 2020 Second-Team All-Big Ten
• 2019-20 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
• 2018-19 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
• 2019 Coaches Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
• 2019 All-Big Ten Defensive Team
• 2019 All-Big Ten Freshman Team
• 5x Big Ten Freshman of the Week in 2018-19
• USBWA National Freshman of the Week on Jan. 15, 2019
• ESPN's No. 3 overall prospect and No. 2 forward coming out of Riverdale Baptist
• McDonald's All-American
• WBCA High School All-American
• Played in the Jordan Brand Classic Game, where she was MVP of the away team with 18 points and 14 rebounds
• Played junior and sophomore years at Colonial Forge High School
• Averaged 18.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a junior and blocked 88 shots
• Led Colonial Forge team to Class 6A state title as a junior
• Named The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star Player of the Year in her junior season
• Played freshman year at James Monroe High School
• Invited to USA Basketball U18 Team Trials in May 2018
• Majoring in communications
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole MissWBB. You can also follow head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin on Twitter at @YolettMcCuin