Skylar Diggins will miss the rest of the WNBA season to focus on recovering from a severe right knee injury, the Chicago Sky announced Tuesday.
“We’re very supportive of Skylar and want to make sure we prioritize her health,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Skylar made a great effort to get back on the field this season. She was in constant communication with us throughout the process.”
Diggins said she’s been keeping up with Sky all season about rehab. When the team was on the road, she would return to Notre Dame, where she played from 2009-2013, to work with the medical team there. After re-evaluation, it was determined it would be best to “downsize and close it for the season,” Diggins said.
The plan is for Diggins to continue to do biometric and biokinetic testing at Notre Dame, as well as work with the Sky coaching staff during the FIBA World Cup break, which runs through Sept. 16.
Diggins signed a two-year, $1.86 million contract with Sky in April. She appeared in just 19 games as a starter, averaging 14.2 points and 4.9 assists. She has not appeared in a game since July, when she was relegated to the bench.
She then responded with a post on her Instagram story saying, “Coming off the bench now?? Cool.” Sky coach Tyler Marsh described her bench role as a “coach’s decision”. Diggins was later listed on Sky’s injury report as out with a right knee injury and remained on the sidelines.
Diggins said on Tuesday that she played “a lot” before being moved to the bench for the Sky. She underwent testing on her right knee and was limited in drills and shooting. She said she should be on the minutes limit as well.
“I didn’t feel like myself there,” Diggins said. “Our situation, whatever it was, whatever decision Tyler made for me and with the organization, he always put my health first.”
Diggins had surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus in her right knee. She returned to the court in January playing for Unrivaled. But she said it had been an “uphill battle” to get back to full health. She added that the workload at the start of the season, with Sky short, contributed to the desire to push through “until we are able to get those reinforcements”.
Diggins has been vocal about the problems within the Sky organization, particularly the lack of resources due to delays in building the team’s training facility. In early July, she told local reporters, according to the Chicago Sun-Times: “I put my body on the line. I’m here for this team. I did everything that was asked of me. I was great professionally. It’s a decision that was made and I have to live with it.”
On Tuesday, Diggins said she had many conversations with Marsh, Pagliocco and Sky principal owner Michael Alter. She characterized the season as a “frustrating experience for a lot of us” because of how they felt the season might look compared to the outcome.
The Sky were eliminated from the playoffs on Aug. 23 after a loss to the Indiana Fever and will have just four games remaining when the WNBA resumes play on Sept. 17 after a two-week break for the FIBA World Cup.
There was speculation that Diggins requested a trade after her move to the bench. She dismissed those rumors on Tuesday, saying trade talks were never on the table.
“The closing for the season has nothing to do with next year,” Diggins said. “We’ll have to see how it goes in the offseason, but we’ve never talked to the organization and myself about a trade, or wanting to trade or anything like that during this process.
“One of the big reasons we’re closing this is to prioritize my health, for the future and for the future with this organization.”
Diggins said while she hasn’t expressed a desire to move on next year, she remains adamant that resources need to be improved in Chicago. The Sky rotated between practice locations throughout the season, and Diggins added that certain trips were extended because the team had nowhere to practice in Chicago, calling it the biggest frustration of the season.
The new Sky building, which Diggins plans to tour next week, has been repeatedly delayed and is now due to open in November.
“With it being very unique and with all the amenities we plan to have, I expect next year we won’t lead the league in games missed due to injuries,” Diggins said.
