Skylar Diggins Calls Chicago Sky Out Over ‘Not Coincidental’ Injury Struggles
Skylar Diggins was a big free-agent get for the Chicago Sky. The hope was that she would be a veteran star and culture setter, leading a much-needed turnaround for the franchise.
Diggins only played 19 games before missing time with a knee injury—which coincided with news that Tyler Marsh planned to move her to the bench. Diggins voiced her frustrations with the lineup change on social media and also told the Chicago Sun-Times how frustrating it was that the organization didn’t live up to its promise of having a new practice facility ready for the start of the season—or at any point during the season, for that matter—and how much more difficult it made dealing with the lingering stress of a meniscus tear from last season.
Diggins is now officially out for the season, but still made sure to call the organization out one more time in a media availability/exit interview. While Diggins made it clear that she had not asked for a trade or was actively planning for a future away from the Sky, she also made sure that everyone was reminded of how difficult it is to get the best out of a team without a dedicated practice facility and the best recovery and treatment options available.
“A lot of us were promised that,” Diggins said about the practice facility, per a video by The Ballers Magazine. “We thought that would be the case, and so that would be the biggest frustration with this season. Just never feeling like we had a home base. With that, sometimes we have limits or restrictions or how many hours we could be there, and that affects everything when you’re trying to be a pro and get in what you need.”
Later on, she also said, “I’ll be looking forward to it next year. It’s something that we need, especially with the players that are assigned to our team next year. No shade, but we need resources and obviously leading the league in injuries, I think, is not coincidental.”
Chicago has eight players under contract for next season. Four of those are currently 30 or older, including 37-year-old Courtney Vandersloot, who returned from an ACL tear this season, and 36-year-old Diggins. Moreover, Rickea Jackson will be returning from her own ACL tear next year. Diggins isn’t wrong when saying that the Sky’s roster will need better resources next season.
Chicago dealt with a lot of injuries this season
Only six players played at least 35 of the Sky’s 40 games before the World Cup break: Elizabeth Williams, Jacy Sheldon, Natasha Cloud, Kamilla Cardoso, Rachel Banham, and Gabriela Jaquez. DiJonai Carrington, Vandersloot, and Azura Stevens all entered the season with injuries.
However, the Chicago Tribune reported in July that “Carrington’s recovery process was complicated by the Sky’s lack of a singular training site.” Moreover, her ankle injury has remained an issue throughout the season.
On top of that, Sydney Taylor missed time with a groin injury, Diggins has been dealing with her knee issue, and Jackson tore her ACL just four games into the season.
On paper, this Sky roster had a lot of potential, especially when Jackson came out playing like an All-Star. It’s difficult to live up to that potential when players struggle to recover properly from injuries sustained before or during the season.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.