Born on August 2, 1990, Skylar Diggins is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Dallas Wings in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in 2013, she earned accolades in high school as the National Gatorade Player of the Year, Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald’s All-American. Playing point guard for Notre Dame, she guided the team to three straight Final Fours and two back-to-back NCAA championship appearances. By the end of her career at Notre Dame, she held the top spot in points and steals, ranked second in assists, and was a two-time recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award, recognized as the nation’s best point guard, contributing to her team’s impressive record of 35-2.
Skylar was part of the USA Women’s Under-18 National Team, starting all five games during the 2008 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She helped secure a gold medal for the U.S. team, achieving an average of 45.9 points with 50-percent shooting from the field.
Competing for Team USA at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China, Diggins played a key role in the team’s undefeated run to win a gold medal. In a notable game against Great Britain, she led the squad in points, assists, and steals, finishing as the third-leading scorer on the team with a total of 68 points.
In September 2015, she received disappointing news about not making the World Championship team—a decision I personally disagree with.
Additionally, she is an advocate for combating child obesity, dedicating herself to this cause.
Beyond her extraordinary talent on the court, Skylar Diggins has an undeniable appeal—she has the potential (and probably will) to become one of the basketball greats. Let’s remain hopeful for that, as we would love to witness more of her career.
by Terence Johns
