Skylar Diggins-Smith has apparently lost her starting position with the Chicago Sky, a development she openly criticized on social media. While the team has not officially confirmed a change to the starting lineup, Diggins-Smith posted on her Instagram story expressing frustration with the decision.
"Now I’m coming off the bench?????? Cool," Diggins-Smith wrote. "And the crazy part about it all is that… I’ve been so quiet. I’ve been so good and quiet. I’ve been so good and quiet."
The move to a reserve role would be unfamiliar territory for the 35-year-old guard. Diggins-Smith had started all 19 games for the Sky this season and has started 341 of her 354 career WNBA games. Her current season averages of 14.2 points per game and 39.2 percent field goal shooting are her lowest marks since 2016. This comes amid the Sky's challenging 6-14 overall record.
In recent games, Diggins-Smith has struggled, scoring just seven points on 2-of-11 shooting in a June 28 loss to the Las Vegas Aces and three points on 0-of-7 shooting in a June 22 loss to the Connecticut Sun.
A highly decorated player, Diggins-Smith was the No. 3 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft. She holds career averages of 16.3 points per game and has earned six All-WNBA selections and seven All-Star selections. She signed a two-year contract with the Sky this past offseason after two years with the Seattle Storm.
The likely player to fill Diggins-Smith's spot in the starting lineup is veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot, 37, who recently returned from a torn ACL. Vandersloot had been a starter for the Sky before her injury and is currently averaging 8.7 points per game in three games coming off the bench this season.
