The Chicago Sky hit the road for a Tuesday night matchup in Phoenix, and they’ll be doing it without one of their key backcourt pieces. Skylar Diggins is sidelined with a knee injury, according to ESPN’s Kareem Copeland. That’s a significant loss for a Sky team trying to snap a two-game skid against a Mercury squad riding a three-game win streak.
Diggins’ absence comes less than 24 hours after she posted about a role change on social media. She acknowledged being moved to the bench for the foreseeable future and admitted the decision initially caught her off guard. In a follow-up video, she talked about staying quiet during the team’s early season struggles, which suggests this wasn’t a situation she saw coming easily.
Veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot just returned from her own knee injury, so the timing lines up. She’s expected to slide into the starting lineup in Diggins’ place. That gives Chicago a floor general who knows the system, but there’s a difference between coming off an injury yourself and stepping into a larger role right away.
Diggins signed with the Sky this offseason after two years in Seattle. She was the No. 3 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, started her career with the Tulsa Shock, followed them to Dallas as the Wings, and spent time in Phoenix — including a run to the 2021 Finals. She knows what it’s like to play big minutes in big games.
Before Tuesday, Diggins had appeared in 19 of Chicago’s first 20 games. She was averaging over 29 minutes per night, putting up 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. Her shooting splits were solid — 39.2 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three, and 77.5 percent from the free-throw line.
It’s not clear how long Diggins will be out. The team hasn’t released a timeline yet. But with the Sky trying to find some rhythm early in the season, losing a veteran like her — even temporarily — is the kind of thing that can shift the rotation for weeks.
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