Skylar Diggins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Skylar Diggins

Diggins with the Seattle Storm in 2024
No. 4 – Seattle Storm
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1990-08-02) August 2, 1990 (age 35) South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
High school	Washington (South Bend, Indiana)
Listed height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight	140 lb (64 kg)
Career information
College	Notre Dame (2009–2013)
NBA Draft	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Tulsa Shock
Pro career	2013–Present
League	WNBA
Career history
2013–2019	Tulsa Shock / Dallas Wings
2020–2023	Phoenix Mercury
2024–present	Seattle Storm
2025–present	Lunar Owls BC
Career highlights and awards
7× WNBA All-Star (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2025) 4× All-WNBA First Team (2014, 2017, 2021, 2022) 2× All-WNBA Second Team (2018, 2020) Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award (2018) WNBA Most Improved Player (2014) WNBA All-Rookie Team (2013) Unrivaled Second-team all-Unrivaled (2025) 2× Nancy Lieberman Award (2012, 2013) Dawn Staley Award (2013) 3x State Farm/WBCA Coaches' All-American (2011–2013) 2x All-American – USBWA (2012, 2013) 2× First-team All-American – AP (2012, 2013) Third-team All-American – AP (2011) 2× Big East Player of the Year (2012, 2013) 3x First-team All-Big East (2011–2013) Big East All-Freshman Team (2010) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2009) MaxPreps National Player of the Year (2009) McDonald's All-American Game Co-MVP (2009) Indiana Miss Basketball (2009) Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year (2009) Gatorade National Player of the Year (2009)
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Team FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold 2009 Thailand Team FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship Gold 2008 Argentina Team World University Games Gold 2011 Shenzhen Team Basketball 3x3 FIBA 3x3 World Cup Gold 2012 Greece Team

Skylar Kierra Diggins (born August 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. She plays for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Skylar was chosen third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft.

In high school, she was named the National Gatorade Player of the Year. She also earned the title of Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. Skylar played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She led her team to three straight Final Fours. They also reached the NCAA championship game twice. She finished her college career as Notre Dame's top scorer and leader in steals. She also won the Nancy Lieberman Award twice. This award goes to the best point guard in the nation.

Early Life and High School Success

Skylar Diggins was born in South Bend, Indiana. Her parents are Tige Diggins and Renee Scott. She has three younger brothers and one younger sister. Skylar also played softball when she was growing up.

High School Basketball Star

Skylar was a four-year varsity basketball player at Washington High School. Her team had an amazing record of 102 wins and only 7 losses. Skylar led her team to state championship games. In 2007, Washington High School won the state title. She ended her high school career with 2,790 points. This is the third-highest score for a girl in Indiana history. She averaged 25.9 points per game.

National Recognition

Skylar received many national awards. These included the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was also the Gatorade National Player of the Year. She was named Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. Skylar also earned the title of Miss Indiana Basketball. She was a WBCA All-American and a McDonald's All-American. In the 2009 WBCA High School All-America Game, she scored 24 points. Besides basketball, she played volleyball and did well in school. She was part of the National Honor Society.

College Basketball Journey

Skylar chose to play college basketball at Notre Dame.

Freshman Year Highlights

In her first year (2009–10), Skylar was the fourth Indiana player on the Notre Dame team. On November 15, 2009, she played her first college game. She scored 14 points, had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Notre Dame won 102–57 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. She set four new freshman records for Notre Dame. Her 484 total points were the fourth best for a freshman. Her 112 assists were the third most. On March 23, she scored 31 points in an 84–66 win over Vermont. This was in the NCAA tournament. Her 31 points were the most by a Notre Dame player in their first tournament game.

Sophomore Season Success

Skylar became very well-known in her second year. She led the Irish to their second championship game. This was ten years after Notre Dame won the national title in 2001. Skylar was the second Notre Dame player to score 1,000 points before her sophomore year ended. She scored 24 points against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. This helped Notre Dame reach its third Final Four. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Dayton Regional. In the Final Four, Skylar scored 28 points against UConn. Notre Dame won 72–63.

In the national championship game, Notre Dame lost to Texas A&M Aggies 76–70. Skylar scored 23 points and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team. She was also named a third-team All-American.

Junior Year Achievements

In her junior year, Skylar achieved a rare feat. She was one of only four NCAA Division I players in a decade to get over 600 points, 200 assists, and 100 steals in one season. She set a school record with 102 steals. Her 222 assists were the third most in a single season. Her 657 points ranked fourth. She led Notre Dame to win the Big East regular-season title. She was named Big East Player of the Year. She was also a first-team All-Big East player.

On March 27, in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, Skylar made history. She recorded Notre Dame's first triple-double in a postseason game. She had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against Maryland. In the national championship game, Notre Dame lost to Baylor 80–61. Skylar scored 20 points. She was a unanimous first-team All-American. She was also the first Notre Dame player to win the Nancy Lieberman Award.

Senior Season and College Records

In her final year at Notre Dame, Skylar scored a career-high 33 points. This was in a 77–67 win over Tennessee. On February 24, she recorded her second triple-double. She had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against DePaul. Skylar had 225 assists, the third most in school history. Her 114 steals were the most in a single season.

She was named Big East Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She also made the First Team All-Big East. In the Big East Tournament, she led the Irish to their first Big East championship win. She made a game-winning steal with 8 seconds left against UConn. She then passed to Natalie Achonwa for the winning layup. Skylar scored 27 points in an 87–76 win over Duke in the Elite Eight. This helped Notre Dame reach its third straight Final Four.

Skylar is the only Notre Dame basketball player (male or female) to get over 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 steals in her career. She finished her college career as Notre Dame's leader in points and steals.

Professional Basketball Career

Diggins with the Dallas Wings in 2017

WNBA Journey

Tulsa Shock / Dallas Wings (2013–2019)

In the 2013 WNBA draft, Skylar was picked 3rd overall by the Tulsa Shock. She averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 assists per game. She was named to the All-Rookie Team. Skylar had a great year in the 2014 WNBA season. She was named a WNBA All-Star for the first time. She scored a career-high 34 points against the San Antonio Stars. In the All-Star game, she scored 27 points. She was second in the league in scoring with 20.1 points per game. Skylar won the 2014 WNBA Most Improved Player Award.

Diggins in 2018

On June 28, 2015, Skylar had a serious knee injury. She tore her ACL and missed the rest of the season. Even though she only played 9 games, she was still named a WNBA All-Star starter.

After recovering, Skylar returned for the 2016 season. By this time, the Tulsa Shock team had moved to Dallas, Texas. They were renamed the Dallas Wings. Skylar signed a new contract with the Wings. She played 27 games and averaged 13.1 points per game.

In the 2017 season, Skylar played all 34 games and returned to her top form. She scored a season-high 30 points. She also made a team record 7 three-pointers in one game. Skylar was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game. She finished the season averaging 18.5 points per game. She also had career-highs in assists and rebounds. This helped the Wings reach the playoffs. In her first playoff game, she scored 15 points.

On June 8, 2018, Skylar scored a new career-high of 35 points. She also had 12 rebounds in a win over the Indiana Fever. She was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game for her fourth All-Star appearance. The Wings made the playoffs but lost in the first round.

In 2019, Skylar took the season off after having her first child. The Wings missed the playoffs that year. Skylar later shared that she had played the 2018 season while pregnant. She also mentioned taking time away from basketball for family reasons.

Phoenix Mercury (2020–2023)

In January 2020, Skylar announced she would not return to the Dallas Wings. In February 2020, she joined the Phoenix Mercury. The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Skylar returned to play on July 25, 2020. On September 9, 2020, she scored a season-high 33 points. The Mercury made the playoffs. They won their first game but lost in the second round.

Seattle Storm (2024–Present)

On February 1, 2024, Skylar signed a two-year contract with the Seattle Storm.

Unrivaled League

On August 29, 2024, it was announced that Skylar would play in the first season of Unrivaled. This is a new women's 3-on-3 basketball league. On January 17, 2025, Skylar scored the game-winning 3-point shot for the Lunar Owls in the league's first game.

Playing for Team USA

Skylar has proudly represented the United States in international basketball.

Youth National Teams

She was part of the USA Women's U18 National Team in 2008. They won the gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Argentina. She averaged 10.8 points per game.

Skylar also played on the 2009 USA U19 World Championship Team. They won the gold medal in Thailand. She averaged 11.6 points per game.

She played for USA Basketball at the 2011 World University Games in China. They won all six games and earned the gold medal. Skylar led the team in points, assists, and steals in some games.

Olympic Gold Medalist

On June 21, 2021, Skylar was named to the 12-player roster for Team USA for the 2020 Summer Olympics. She and Team USA went on to win the gold medal. They defeated Japan 90–75 in the final game.

Career Statistics

WNBA Regular Season

WNBA Playoffs

College Statistics

Off the Court Activities

Diggins playing in the 2014 NBA All-Star Celebrity game (Michael B. Jordan also pictured)

Skylar is an advocate against childhood obesity. She has been a guest interviewer for ESPN. She also models for Nike. Skylar has appeared in Vogue magazine. She was also featured in a swimsuit shoot for Sports Illustrated.

Since the 2020-21 NBA season, Skylar has also been a guest broadcaster for the Phoenix Suns. She hosts "Shoot 4 The Sky" camps. These camps are for boys and girls in grades 2–12 around the world.

Personal Life

Skylar has a degree from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. In June 2016, she got engaged to Daniel Smith. He was a wide receiver for Clay High School and Notre Dame. The couple married in May 2017. She used the name Diggins-Smith for a time. They have two children together. As of April 2025, Skylar is using her original name, Skylar Diggins, in the WNBA.

Endorsement Deals

In 2013, Skylar signed with Roc Nation Sports. She was the first female athlete to join them. That same year, she also signed a deal with Nike. In 2014, Skylar signed an endorsement deal with Bodyarmor SuperDrink.

Awards and Honors

WNBA Awards

• 7× WNBA All-Star (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2025)
• 4× All-WNBA First Team (2014, 2017, 2021, 2022)
• 2× All-WNBA Second Team (2018, 2020)
• WNBA Most Improved Player (2014)

College Awards

• Dawn Staley Award (2013)
• 2× Nancy Lieberman Award (2012, 2013)
• 2× Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year (2012, 2013)

High School Awards

• 2009 consensus Naismith Prep Player of the Year
• Three-time high school All-American by Parade magazine
• Three-time high school All-American by EA Sports
• USA Today All-USA Team (first team 2009; third team 2008)
• 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball
• 2009 South Bend Tribune Girls' Athlete of the Year

Filmography

TV Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Skylar Diggins-Smith para niños