Skylar Diggins-Smith has been one of the most recognizable names in women’s basketball over the past decade. Her rise to stardom resembles the exact type of coverage and popularity of young stars like Paige Beuckers, Cailtin Clark, and Angel Reese. Diggins-Smith was born in South Bend, Indiana, where she quickly arose into the spotlight of women’s basketball.
As a member of Washington High School, she led them to four consecutive championships, which established her as a premier talent. She ended up choosing to stay at home and play for the University of Notre Dame. This is where Skylar Diggins-Smith would emerge on the national stage, as she had an illustrious four-year college career. Over her time at Notre Dame, Diggins-Smith became the first player in Notre Dame history to score over 2,000 points and record over 500 assists and 500 rebounds. She finished with 2,357 points (16.3 ppg), 745 assists (5.1 apg), and 553 rebounds (3.8 rpg). Thanks to her leading contributions she was instrumental in helping guide the Fighting Irish to two consecutive NCAA Championship Game appearances in 2011 and 2012, even though they fell short both times. Diggins-Smith’s accolades at Notre Dame came at an abundance. She was a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner back in 2012 and 2013, which is awarded to the best point guard in the nation. She was also a four-time All-Big East selection and a three-time All-American. Her remarkable college career garnered her recognition as one of the top players in the country and solidified her as an elite prospect for the WNBA.
Skylar Diggins-Smith was selected third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA Draft. Despite a challenging rookie season, she made significant strides in her second year, winning the WNBA Most Improved Player award in 2014. That season, she averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game, which instilled confidence in herself as becoming one of the premier guards in the league. Over the course of her career, Diggins-Smith has played for the Tulsa Shock, Dallas Wings, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm. In that span she has made it to 6 WNBA All-Star teams and has 4 All-WNBA First Team selections. As a current member of the Seattle Storm, Diggins-Smith finished the season averaging 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
This 34 year old still has game and her impact on the Unrivaled league will be felt. She still possesses the ability to dictate the pace of the game and execute an offense. Those 6.4 assists she averaged during this WNBA season proves how much of a threat she can be with the ball in her hands and I expect her decision making to be a valued addition to the team that she’s placed on for this competition.
