Skylar Diggins

Skylar Diggins

File:Skylar Diggins NBA All-Star 2014 7 (cropped).jpg Diggins at the 2014 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
No. 4 – Dallas Wings
Position	Guard
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(1990-08-02) August 2, 1990 South Bend, Indiana
Nationality	American
Listed height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Listed weight	145 lb (66 kg)
Career information
High school	Washington (South Bend, Indiana)
College	Notre Dame (2009–2013)
WNBA draft	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Tulsa Shock
Playing career	2013–present
Career history
2013–present	Tulsa Shock
Career highlights and awards
2× WNBA All-Star (2014–2015) WNBA Most Improved Player (2014) 2× Nancy Lieberman Award winner (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) McDonald's All-American (2009) Indiana Miss Basketball (2009) Gatorade National Player of the Year (2009)
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals Representing United States Basketball 3x3 World Championship 2012 Athens Women's Representing United States U18 and U19 2008 U18 Buenos Aires Team Competition 2009 U19 Bangkok Team Competition World University Games 2011 Shenzhen Team Competition

Skylar Kierra Diggins (born August 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted 3rd overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. In high school, she was the National Gatorade Player of the Year, the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald's All-American. Diggins played point guard for Notre Dame, where she led Notre Dame to three consecutive Final Fours and two consecutive NCAA championship appearances. She finished her Notre Dame career ranked first in points and steals, second in assists, and as a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation, while leading her team to a record of 130-20.

Early life

Diggins was born in South Bend, Indiana. She is the daughter of Tige Diggins and Renee Scott and step-daughter of Sarah Diggins and Maurice Scott. Diggins has three younger brothers Tige, Destyn, and Maurice and one younger sister Hanneaf. She also grew up playing softball.

High school career

Diggins attended Washington High School in South Bend, Indiana. Diggins was a four-year starter and three-year team captain at Washington High School, where the Panthers had a combined record of 102-7. In her freshman year, she averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists. 3.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks. As a sophomore she averaged 24.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 4.7 steals. During her junior year she averaged a state-best 29.5 points, in addition to 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.9 steals, and 1.7 blocks. As a senior, she averaged a state-best 29 points per game, along with 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.2 blocked shots. She tallied fourteen 30-point games in 26 games played, and narrowly missed a rare quadruple-double in the '08-09 season opener vs. LaPorte, finishing with 28 points, 12 assists, 12 steals and nine rebounds. Diggins finished her career with 2,790 points, the third-highest girls' scoring total in Indiana history for an average of 25.9 points per game. She scored at least 700 points in each of her final three seasons, which ranks as three of the top 23 single-season scoring marks in state history. She holds school records in all major statistical categories with 620 rebounds, 601 assists, 475 steals and 161 blocks.

During her time there, Diggins led the Panthers to state championship games, including Washington's title-winning season of 2007. Diggins was named to the all-state first team in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In addition to basketball, she participated in volleyball and did well academically, earning High Academic Honors as a senior, and being a member of National Honor Society. Diggins was a two-time Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Diggins was named a WBCA All-American, and was a McDonald's All-American selection. She participated in the 2009 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 24 points. In the March 30, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated, she was part of its Faces in the Crowd segment. Diggins chose Notre Dame over Stanford, but was able to make friends with Stanford alum Candice Wiggins after visiting the university.

University of Notre Dame Career

Freshmen Year

As a freshman, Diggins became the fourth Indiana native to join the Irish roster in 2009-10, along with fellow South Bend-area guard (and co-captain) Melissa Lechlitner, Indianapolis guard Ashley Barlow (and co-captain) and Valparaiso forward Becca Bruszewski. In addition, she was one of three Miss Basketball honorees on the '09-10 Notre Dame roster, along with Lindsay Schrader (Illinois 2005) and Kellie Watson (Michigan 2008). Diggins played and started in 30 of ND's 35 games. She led the team in scoring (13.8 ppg.), steals (2.6 spg.) and assists (tied - 3.2 apg.), while ranking third on the squad in three-point percentage (.350) and free throw percentage (.782). She tallied a team-high 24 double-digit scoring games, including seven 20-point outings, and set Notre Dame freshman records for steals (90), free throws made (111), free throws attempted (142) and minutes played (1,028), while ranking among the top five among Fighting Irish freshman for points (3rd - 484), scoring average (tied/4th - 13.8 ppg.), field goals made (3rd - 169), field goals attempted (3rd - 385), three-point field goals made (4th - 35), three-point attempts (5th - 100), three-point percentage (5th - .350), assists (3rd - 112), steals per game (2nd - 2.6 spg.), games started (tied/2nd - 30), games played (2nd - 35) and minutes per game (5th - 29.4). Diggins had a team-high eight "5-5-5" games (including all three NCAA tournament games) and at least one steal in 33 of 35 games (16 outings with 3+ steals, including all six postseason games). She is the fourth Notre Dame player to score 400 points as a freshman (most since Beth Morgan tallied 518 points in 1993-94, the last time a Notre Dame rookie led team in scoring), and was the first Notre Dame freshman with 100 assists in a debut season since Mollie Peirick in 1994-95.

Sophomore Year

Diggins rose to national prominence in her sophomore year, finishing the regular season first on the team in assists per game (4.8 average), while placing second in scoring (14.4) and third in steals (1.9). Since the season began, she has scored in double figures 30 times, including eight 20-point outings, and has notched at least five assists in 21 games. Diggins continued her stellar play in the NCAA tournament, leading the Irish to the second championship game appearance in school history, ten years after Notre Dame captured the national title in 2001. In the regional final, they beat Tennessee (fourth-ranked team in the country) by a score of 73-59. Diggins scored a then-season-high 24 points in the game, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 NCAA Dayton Regional. Diggins went over the 1,000-point mark for her career, becoming just the second Notre Dame women's basketball player to reach that milestone before the end of her sophomore season. In the semifinal game, the Notre Dame point guard led her team to victory over heavily favored UConn (the number-one team in the country) with 28 points (her highest single-game total on the season), 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Diggins also made all six of her free-throw attempts. Notre Dame was victorious in its third Final Four appearance ever, defeating the two-time defending champion Huskies by a score of 72-63. However, the Fighting Irish lost to the Texas A&M Aggies in the final game of the 2011 women's basketball tournament, by a score of 76-70. In the losing effort, Diggins finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. She made 8 of 9 free-throws in the game, including two with 40.7 seconds remaining. But the sophomore struggled from beyond the arc, sinking only 1-of-5 three-point attempts. Diggins also committed 6 turnovers, the last one ending Notre Dame's chances for good as the game clock wound down. As the Associated Press reported, "Diggins, fighting back tears, said the Irish couldn't handle A&M's pressure. 'We turned it over too much. I don't know if it was nerves or what,' she said. 'We just didn't handle the pressure.'"

For her excellence on the court, Diggins was selected by the Associated Press as a 2011 Third Team All-American, and she was also honored as one of ten members of the 2011 State Farm Coaches All-America Team. She joined Baylor's Brittney Griner as one of only two sophomores honored, and was just the third Irish women's basketball player to earn the award, joining Ruth Riley (2001) and Jacqueline Batteast (2005).

Junior Year

Diggins continued her stellar play in junior year. She started all 39 games, averaging career-high 16.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game and became first Fighting Irish player and just the fourth NCAA Division I player in the past decade (since 2001-02) to register 600 points, 200 assists and 100 steals in a single season. She set school record with 102 steals, while 222 assists were third-most on the Notre Dame single-season list, and 657 points ranked fourth on the school's single-season chart, posted second-best assist-turnover ratio (2.16) by a Fighting Irish player in one season. She tallied four double-doubles tied for fourth-most by a Notre Dame guard in a single season. Only BIG EAST player to rank among top five in conference in three of five major statistical categories, leading in both assists (5.7 apg. - 16th in nation) and steals (2.6 spg. - 55th in nation), and fourth in scoring (16.8 ppg. - 70th in nation), while also posting her conference-best 2.16 assist-turnover ratio (10th in nation), ranked among the top 10 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (9th - .786) and field goal percentage (tied-10th - .500; 35th in nation). She claimed BIG EAST regular season statistical titles in assists (5.8 apg. - second Notre Dame player to win the BIG EAST assist title, and first since current Fighting Irish assistant coach Niele Ivey in 1999-2000), steals (2.6 spg.), and assist-turnover ratio (2.3), also finished conference play among the top 15 in the BIG EAST in scoring (3rd - 17.8 ppg.), field goal percentage (9th - .508) and free throw percentage (12th - .788), posted 13 20-point games (one 30-point outing) and five double-digit assist games this season.

Following the end of the regular season, Diggins was named a unanimous selection for the Big EAST All-First team, and was awarded the Big East Player of the Year, and a Consensus first team All-American. During the postseason she made history in NCAA Raleigh Regional final against No. 5 Maryland with 22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals to tally first triple-double in Notre Dame postseason history. Notre Dame met up with UConn for a second straight year in the final four, with the Irish again coming out victorious, winning 83-75 in overtime. The Irish would go on to lose in the finals to Baylor. Diggins was named the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year award winner the first Notre Dame player to win the award.

Senior Year

In her final year, Diggins had best season of her college career. Diggins started all 37 games, averaging career-high 17.1 ppg, 6.1 apg, 3.5 rpg. and 3.1 spg., with three double-doubles and one triple-double (at DePaul). She set school record with 114 steals, while career-high 225 assists were third-most for one season in program history increased nearly all averages in five-game run during postseason play (17.4 ppg., 7.4 apg., 3.2 spg., .400 3FG%).Diggins scored in double figures 33 times, including 12 20-point games (both team highs) posted team-best 10 "5-5-5" games this season (at least 5 in three of five major statistical categories) She led BIG EAST and ranked 19th in nation in assists and also third in BIG EAST and 18th nationally in steals, fourth in free throw percentage (.814) and scoring, fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.67) and sixth in three-point percentage (.362).Following the end of the regular season, Diggins was named a unanimous selection for the Big EAST All-First team, and was awarded the Big East Player of the Year, and a Consensus first team All-American for the second straight season.

In the Big EAST Tournament, Diggins was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the Irish to their Big EAST championship game victory in school history defeating the UConn Huskies as she had 12 points, 6 assists, 5 steals and 3 rebounds and came up with decisive steal with eight seconds left in tie game, then weaved through three Connecticut defenders before passing off to Natalie Achonwa for game-winning layup with 1.8 seconds remaining. In the NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame earned a 2 seed as Diggins led them easily over Tennessee-Martin, Beth Morgan, Kansas, and won the Norfolk Regional final defeating No. 5 Duke as Diggins as named the Norfolk Regional Most Outstanding Player.Her college career came to an end in the 2013 NCAA women's basketball final four to Big East rival and eventual champion University of Connecticut who Notre Dame has meet up with and defeated in the two previous final four. Diggins was named the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year award winner for the second straight year.

One of only six NCAA Division I players since 1999-2000 to compile 2,000 points/500 rebounds/500 assists/300 steals in her career—others were Alana Beard (Duke), Shenise Johnson (Miami-Fla.), Leilani Mitchell (Idaho/Utah), Maya Moore (Connecticut) and Courtney Vandersloot. (Gonzaga) Only Notre Dame basketball player (either gender) to amass 2,000 points/500 rebounds/500 assists/300 steals in her career (men's player Chris Thomas met all marks except steals (244) from 2001–05). Finished her career as the all time Notre Dame leading scorer with 2,357 points. Notre Dame career records for points, steals, free throws made, free throws attempted, games started, minutes played, double-figure scoring games and triple-doubles.She ranked second in school history for career assists, field goals made, field goals attempted and games played ...ranked among top 15 in BIG EAST Conference history (regular season games only; 1982-83 to present) for career free throws made (7th), free throws attempted (11th), assists (15th) and steals (tied-15th). Only Notre Dame player to earn the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation's top point guard) and one of only three players in award's history to claim the honor twice.

University of Notre Dame statistics

Skylar Diggins Statistics at University of Notre Dame
Year	G	FG	FGA	PCT	3FG	3FGA	PCT	FT	FTA	PCT	REB	AVG	A	TO	B	S	MIN	PTS	AVG
2009–10	35	169	385	0.439	35	100	0.350	111	142	0.782	143	4.1	112	97	23	90	1028	484	13.8
2010-11	39	202	468	0.432	36	108	0.333	145	198	0.732	156	4.0	186	155	17	75	1226	585	15.0
2011-12	39	233	466	0.500	33	93	0.355	158	201	0.786	127	3.3	222	103	19	102	1201	657	16.8
2012-2013	37	218	515	0.423	46	127	0.362	149	183	0.814	131	3.5	225	135	27	114	1184	631	17.1
Totals	150	822	1834	0.448	150	428	0.350	563	724	0.779	557	3.7	745	490	86	381	4639	2357	15.7

Professional career

2013 season

In the 2013 WNBA Draft, Diggins was drafted 3rd overall by the Tulsa Shock. Diggins averaged 8.5 points per game, 1.9 rebounds per game, 26.4 minutes per game and led the Shock in assists per game (3.8). She scored a career-high 22 points vs. Phoenix Mercury on June 16, 2013. She was named to the All-Rookie Team.

2014 season breakout year

Diggins had a breakout year in the 2014 WNBA season. Diggins became All star for the first time in her career. During the all star game she had team high 27 points including a lay-up that sent the game into overtime. She ranked second in league in scoring with 20.1 point per game, fourth in assists with 5.0 and tenth in steals with 1.5. Diggins passed former guard Deanna Nolan for the most points in a Shock season with 683 points. Diggins won the 2014 WNBA Most Improved Player Award.

2015 WNBA season

It was announced on July 1, 2015 that Diggins had a torn ACL and that she would miss the rest of the 2015 WNBA season. She suffered the injury with 44 seconds remaining on the shot clock against the Seattle Storm at the BOK Center on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

WNBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career high		League leader

USA Basketball

Diggins was a member of the USA Women's Under-18 National Team, starting all five games at the 2008 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was part of the United States team that went undefeated and won the gold medal. Statistically, she averaged 10.8 points on 50-percent shooting from the field, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2 steals in 23.2 minutes per game. In the tournament, she ranked among the top 10 in the entire tournament in scoring (10th), field goal percentage (7th), assists (2nd), steals (8th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd).

July 29, 2009: Notre Dame incoming freshman guard and United States co-captain Diggins (South Bend, Ind./Washington) scored 11 points, including three three-pointers in a 42-second span early in the first quarter, as the USA trounced Japan, 109-68, on Wednesday in its final Group F second-round contest at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship inside the Bangkok Thai-Japan Youth Center in Bangkok, Thailand.

Diggins played on the team representing the USA at the 2011 World University Games held in Shenzhen, China. The team won all six games to earn the gold medal. She led the team in points, assists and steals in the game against Great Britain. Diggins was the third leading scorer on the team, with 12.3 points per game, and led the team in assists and steals with 29 and 20, respectively.

World Championship Team

In 2015 Diggins got the news that she didn't make the World Championship team after meeting with U.S. women’s national team director Carol Callan and coach Geno Auriemma in September in France. She was one of three cuts following the U.S.’ exhibition. Six days before the World Championship's, Diggins didn't play against France, the U.S. suffered their first loss since 2011.

Offseason

While most players are playing overseas and making extra money during the offseason, Diggins has picked up different hobbies. She received a call from Jay Z with and he asked her to join Roc Nation Sports. First woman to join Roc Nation. Now she finds herself modeling, she's been in a swimsuit shoot with Sports Illustrated and in Vogue magazine. She got a fancy Mercedes-Benz from Roc Nation on her graduation.^[17]

Also in her time off she made her way back to her hometown and participated in a field day at Martin Luther King Recreation Center in South Bend. She got to speak out to the kids about eating healthier and staying active and living a healthier lifestyle. Diggins works around her work outs and stays active during her offseason and is also a part of the U.S. Women’s National Team player pool.

Diggins has become an advocate against childhood obesity, a guest interviewer for ESPN and a model for Nike. All that adds to her WNBA contract of around $105,000.

Diggins also hosts camps "Shoot 4 The Sky" around the world for boys and girls grades 2-12.

Personal life

She has a degree from Mendoza College of Business.

She's dating Daniel Smith, who played football at Notre Dame during her time there. Before the ESPY's in 2014, Drake took a shot at Smith, and said Diggins probably wouldn't show up to the ESPY's because Smith had her tied down to a chair. Smith then proceeded to tag a picture of him and Sky cuddling. While at the ESPY's, Drake made a joke and said "can I dig in?" which blew up and became controversial.

Awards and honors

• Best WNBA Player ESPY Award (2015)
• Named one of the 25 most beautiful women in sports (2013)
• Big East Player of the year (2012, 2013)
• Associated Press All-American First Team (2012, 2013)
• Associated Press All-American Third Team (2011)
• 2009 consensus Naismith Prep Player of the Year, earning top honors from Gatorade, Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Trophy), ESPN Hoopgurlz and MaxPreps
• Three-time high school All-American by Parade magazine (first team 2008 and 2009; third team 2007)
• Three-time high school All-American by EA Sports (first team 2008 and 2009; second team 2007)
• USA Today All-USA Team (first team 2009; third team 2008)
• USA Today All-Underclass Team (2006)
• Two-time Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year (2008 and 2009)
• Two-time MaxPreps Indiana Player of the Year/first-team All-American (2008 and 2009)
• 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball
• 2009 South Bend Tribune Girls' Athlete of the Year (covers all female high school athletes in all sports throughout newspaper's coverage area)

Filmography

TV

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2014	Wild 'n Out	Herself	Team Captain