Tag: Skylar Diggins-Smith

Lip-readers think Skylar Diggins-Smith called Tiffany Hayes ‘weak’ after knocking her to the floor

Skylar Diggins-Smith looked like she was completely over Tiffany Hayes.

Skylar Diggins-Smith might have beef with Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes after an on-court spat during an Aces-Storm Tuesday matchup.

In a recent matchup, a rather intense moment between Tiffany Hayes and Skylar Diggins-Smith has hoops fans talking. Late in the fourth quarter, as Las Vegas was slowly starting to pull away for the win, Hayes blocked a Seattle shot, stole the ball and took off towards the other end of the court.

Diggins-Smith tracked her down in stride but could not keep her from scoring, and she fell after contact with Hayes. Tiffany then seemingly taunted Skylar after the bucket. They continued jawing following the play, and shortly after complaining to the officiating crew, lip-readers thought Skylar said, “You’re weak, [expletive]” to Tiffany as she walked off the court.

https://twitter.com/TylerDeLuca/status/1836248712437174710

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Skylar Diggins-Smith revealed why she struggled with anxiety before joining the Seattle Storm

“Are they gonna think I’m weird?”

Skylar Diggins-Smith sent shockwaves through hoops circles when she joined the Seattle Storm during the offseason. However, the veteran guard recently revealed that despite knowing Seattle was at the top of her list, she had anxiety about joining the team.

In a move heard around the league, Diggins-Smith linked up with the Seattle Storm in February after a somewhat tumultuous tenure with the Phoenix Mercury. During her introductory press conference, she shared why she moved on from the Mercury to sign with the Storm.

She ultimately wanted to play with Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike and, among other things, experience Seattle’s culture. But Skylar says that even with all of that excitement, she had social anxiety. Here’s what she recently told ESPN’s LaChina Robinson during WNBA Off Day about her move to Seattle and understanding her mental health journey (See the clip below and the 10:44 mark of the YouTube video):

“I was like, ‘Man, am I going to be able to fit in socially with this team? Am I going to sound like somebody’s mom — you know, because I’m a stay-at-home mom?…'”

“To come back after 21 months of being a stay-at-home mom — ‘Can I adapt to this environment again? Are they gonna think I’m weird?'”

“I think just being real with myself about how I feel and how things make me feel…I think I’ve always struggled with anxiety. I just think I didn’t know what that was until I talked to somebody about how I was feeling, and like, ‘Oh, that’s anxiety!’ I thought that was just Sky…and it’s like you’re not the only person feeling this way. But sometimes you hesitate to share it.”

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Video recounts Skylar Diggins-Smith tumultuous Phoenix Mercury tenure

Skylar is Skylar.

Notre Dame legend [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] has developed both a good and bad reputation in the WNBA. Though she’s built a Hall of Fame resume, she also gets into sticky situations. Most recently, she decided to bump Caitlin Clark during a play stoppage in a game.

Secret Base, one of the best sports channels on YouTube, decided to take a look at Diggins-Smith’s four-year tenure with the Phoenix Mercury that often was filled with tension. While the title of the video says her beef was with the legendary Diana Taurasi, the video itself really is more about Diggins-Smith and her beef with the Mercury as a whole:

During the three seasons Diggins-Smith actually played for the Mercury, she made All-WNBA each year, was a two-time All-Star, and she averaged 18.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game. Former Irish standout [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] was with her each season.

Despite the seemingly ideal circumstances, Diggins-Smith clearly was not happy with the Mercury, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. So she signed with the Seattle Storm this past offseason, joining fellow Irish legend [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag].

It’s clear Diggins-Smith’s demeanor will not change. Hopefully, that doesn’t cloud her legacy.

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Skylar Diggins-Smith bumps Caitlin Clark on record-setting night

She probably could have handled this better.

With the WNBA back from its Olympic break, the focus has shifted back to Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark. And a former Notre Dame standout has entered the latest controversy involving her.

Clark broke the WNBA rookie assists record during the Fever’s 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on Sunday, dishing a game-high nine. That’s not what everyone was talking about afterward. During the game, Clark pumped up the home crowd, and [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] didn’t take that very well:

It’s unfortunate Diggins-Smith has joined the list of players who have made Clark’s rookie season tougher than it needs to be. Hopefully, she can have better judgment in such situations moving forward, or she’ll continue to be the target of some people’s wrath.

Diggins-Smith led the Storm with five assists and scored 15 points in the losing effort. She was second on the team in scoring to fellow Irish legend [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag], who had 26 points.

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Four former Notre Dame stars compete in Seattle Storm-Chicago Sky game

Second meeting for these teams in three days.

For the second time in three days, the Seattle Storm hosted the Chicago Sky. Together, the teams boast five players who once represented Notre Dame. The Storm won the third and final matchup between the teams for the regular season, 84-71.

The Storm’s [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] led the former Irish players with 20 points despite shooting only 6-of-20 from the field. [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag], Loyd’s fellow starting guard, scored 15 points and led all players with eight assists.

For the Sky, [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag] and [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag] tied for the team lead with six assists apiece. Mabrey scored 14 points but had a game-high four turnovers. Allen made a single basket on two field-goal attempts.

[autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag], who played on her 28th birthday when these teams met the other night, was left on the bench for the third time in four games.

This game also was notable for Angel Reese recording her WNBA-record 13th straight double-double, breaking a record previously held by Candace Parker. We’ll see if she can wrestle Rookie of the Year honors away from Caitlin Clark.

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Five Notre Dame alumni face each other on Brianna Turner’s birthday

Plan to stay up late tonight.

Former Notre Dame standout [autotag]Brianna Turner[/autotag] has turned 28, and there’s only one way to celebrate if you’re an Irish fan. Turner and four of her fellow former Irish will be on the same court when the Chicago Sky visit the Seattle Storm. This is the WNBA matchup that can provide the most former Notre Dame players at any one time in 2024.

Turner has been left on the bench during the Sky’s past two games, but maybe coach Teresa Weatherspoon will give her a break on her birthday. Weatherspoon will have no qualms playing Sky leading scorer [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag] (14.1 points a game) or reliable bench player [autotag]Lindsay Allen[/autotag], whose 3.1 assists a game rank third on the Sky.

Suiting up for the Storm will be U.S. Olympian [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag], one of the league’s top scorers at 20.4 points a game, and [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag], whose 13.9 points a game rank third on the team. A win for the Storm would tie them for first with [autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag]’s Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference.

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Two former Notre Dame players make WNBA All-Star roster

Congrats, Arike and Kayla!

The final decade or so of [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag]’s tenure at Notre Dame saw her develop many future WNBA stars. Those stars have their mark on today’s league and have earned the right to display their skills as much as possible.

The WNBA All-Star roster for the annual All-Star Game on July 20 in Phoenix has been announced. That roster will include the Dallas Wings’ [autotag]Arike Ogunbowale[/autotag] and the Minnesota Lynx’s [autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag], two players who came up with the Irish.

Ogunbowale was named to the team by virtue of being one of the top 10 vote-getters among fans, players and media. McBride was one of eight additional players named after coaches completed the final round of voting. Among those on the final ballot but not making the roster were the Seattle Storm’s [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] and the Chicago Sky’s [autotag]Marina Mabrey[/autotag].

The WNBA All-Stars will face the U.S. Olympic team, which includes the Las Vegas Aces’ [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag], who also was one of the top 10 WNBA vote-getters, and the Storm’s [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag].

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Five former Notre Dame players among top 20 WNBA scorers

These ladies are making Irish fans proud.

Before too long, Notre Dame coach [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] will be sending players she’s had as head coach to the WNBA. For now though, a few of [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag]’s former players are tearing the league up through their scoring. But a lot of people might not seem to realize just how much they’re lighting up the scoreboard.

While most fans are focused on the budding rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, just as much focus should be going to the professionals the Irish have developed. If you need more convincing of that, check out this tweet from @trendyhoopstars:

That’s unbelievable. It’s a testament to how great the program has been for a while now but especially during McGraw’s final decade coaching the Irish. It should come as no surprise that these players have blossomed professionally and are giving the development at some other prominent women’s basketball schools a run for their money. UConn and South Carolina aren’t the only two programs worthy of attention.

So who are the former Irish players turning heads through the first month-and-a-half of the WNBA season, and where do they rank among the league’s scoring leaders? It’s these five:

One former Notre Dame player defeats two others in WNBA matchup

Sometimes, you just gotta get hot from downtown.

[autotag]Kayla McBride[/autotag]’s WNBA-high eight 3-pointers in her previous game weren’t enough to carry the Minnesota Lynx to victory. That undoubtedly had to be a frustrating moment for her. Fortunately, there always is room for redemption, and the former Notre Dame guard got it against two others.

McBride hit seven 3s and made all seven of her free throws en route to a game-high 32 points and an 83-64 victory over the Seattle Storm. The win improved the Lynx to 8-3 and broke a tie for first place in the Western Conference.

McBride had to excel to counter the Storm’s starting backcourt, which should be very familiar to Irish fans. [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag], fresh off making her second Olympic team, paced the Storm with 25 points on nine-of-27 shooting from the field and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] was held to only seven points but tied of the game high of three steals.

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Two former Notre Dame players named to U.S. Olympic team

With so many quality former Notre Dame players thriving in the WNBA, at least one of them had to make the 2024 U.S. Olympic team.

With so many quality former Notre Dame players thriving in the WNBA, at least one of them had to make the 2024 U.S. Olympic team. Now, two of them reportedly have done just that. [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] of the Seattle Storm and [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] of the Las Vegas Aces will be among the 12 players trying to win gold for the U.S. in Paris:

This will be the second straight Olympics for Loyd after taking the gold along with [autotag]Skylar Diggins-Smith[/autotag] during the pandemic-delayed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Young also won gold at those Olympics but as part of the first-ever 3-on-3 basketball competition.

The U.S. won’t be the only roster to find Notre Dame representation though. [autotag]Natalie Achonwa[/autotag] will be competing in her fourth straight Olympics for Canada. As she currently is not on a WNBA roster, she can focus her energy on preparing for Paris. Here’s hoping she can bring home a medal, too.

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