We love watching our favorite athletes playand with an exciting WNBA season comingback later this year, we've all been introducedto Unrivaled League, a 3X3 format.In today's issue, we sat down with WashingtonMystics' Shakira Austin who alsoplays on the Lunar Owls BC! We took sometime to talk about her love of the game,what it's like playing for the Mystics andalso playing on Unrivaled. We also talkedabout how she has been recovering fromher surgery and her goals as she is back toplaying on the court!As part of TYLENOL® Greatness Hurts campaign,the brand has partnered with theWomen's Sports Foundation®’s ‘AthleteRecovery and Care Commitment Grant.’THis provides much needed support and 10elite women athletes were awarded this.The aim to help women athletes overcomepain and recover from setbacks to theircareer caused by injury, ultimately helpingthem achieve their career goals.The grant continues the long-standingcommitment to demonstrate Care WithoutLimits, not only providing support forthe physical pain but also the mental andfinancial hardships women athletes face inthe hopes of positively impacting the outcomeof their journeys.ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fallin love with basketball?SHAKIRA AUSTIN: I would say probablyaround 9th grade, I started, when I wasabout 13/14. My dad actually tried to putme in when I was like 7 and he said, I didnot like it! You know, I come from a basketballfamily. My uncle had played, mydad kind of caught him, so he didn't forceit on me. But, you know, I eventually mademy way back around 8th grade and by 9thgrade, I was like, yeah, this is it.AM: And that’s also when you were like, ifI can, I'm definitely gonna go pro!SA: Oh yeah! By 9th grade, my dad wasconvinced that I would be the #1 draftpick.AM: Wow, that's amazing! You've beenplaying for the Washington Mysticssince you were drafted in 2022. Whatdoes it mean to you to play with thisteam?SA: It's amazing. The opportunity tobe back to, you know, your hometownteam. It’s definitely a once in a lifetimethe opportunity, so I'm grateful! Ithasn't gone the way I would like it togo. But, you know, I know my future isgoing to be a lot better. So I'm excitedto see, you know, what happens.AM: I know you've been recovering froman injury from last season. What takesplace as an athlete, when you knowthat you're injured? Do you still workout on some level? How do you realizewhat you're going to do in terms of notplaying for the rest of the season, butgetting yourself prepared to play again?SA: You know, it's been my first big injury.I've never had surgery, never reallysat out more than a few days, so it'sbeen a new adjustment of when you'renot supposed to do anything, whenyou're supposed to, you know, sit andrest and when you're able to kind ofcrank it back up. So for me it was allabout the timing of which part of myrehab process, I was in. When I firsthad my surgery it was shut down for 2months at least.It wasn't until month 3 that I was actuallyable to slowly start building up andthat went into the season. I enteredmy month 4 right when training campstarted. So it was like, I had to balancerehab while also trying to get preparedfor the season and get prepared forgames. I had a new role with the team,so it's been a long journey of trying tounderstand my body and figure outokay, when should you know to workout more or should you allow yourselfto recover. So that's pretty much beenthe process.AM: How has Tylenol assisted in that re-
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