On Monday, Skylar Diggins had something to get off her chest: 19 games into her Chicago Sky stint, the seven-time WNBA All-Star would be coming off the bench. In an Instagram post, Diggins hinted at issues within the Sky organization before conceding that she has to accept head coach Tyler Marsh’s ruling.
That same day, Marsh released a statement regarding Diggins’ move to the bench. In his statement, Marsh appeared to be reassuring Sky fans that the veteran guard is fine with the move.
“It’s a coach’s decision. It’s my decision, and the conversations that me and Skylar had will stay between us. She understands how effective she can still be and how big of a piece that she is for us on this team.”
Some fans, however, weren’t buying Marsh’s explanation.
Among all Sky players who have played in at least 18 games, Diggins is first in assists, first in three-point shooting, and second in scoring. Despite this, the Sky have all but confirmed that she will be giving up her starting slot for Courtney Vandersloot, who recently made her return from an ACL injury, when they take on the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday.
Out of the 354 regular-season games that Diggins has played in her 12-year career, she has come off the bench just 13 times. From the looks of it, the Sky-Mercury game will be the first time that Diggins will join the reserve unit since 2016.
“Coming Off the Bench…That’s Hard”: Michael Redd Weighs In On Skylar Diggins Situation
After Skylar Diggins vented her frustration on social media, former NBA All-Star Michael Redd added his two cents. Expressing empathy for Diggins, Redd admitted that the WNBA veteran is going through a tough stage of her career.
“Love Skylar. Diggins Hall of Famer. No debate. But one of the hardest things for any hooper is getting older. Not because you wake up one day and can’t play. That’s (almost) never how it happens. You just lose a little. Half a step. A little burst. A little vert. Coming off the bench after being the No. 1 player your whole career? Man…that’s hard. Trust me, I know.”
Redd, who won an Olympic gold medal with the “Redeem Team” in 2008, added that his comments are intended to show respect to a player “who can still hoop.”
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