The Chicago Sky are in a bad spot. They lost their fourth game out of five on Sunday, falling 96-91 to the Dallas Wings. They’re now 7-16 on the season. Only Seattle and Connecticut have worse records. And for the third straight game, they played without Skylar Diggins, who’s been sidelined with a knee injury.
But the injury might not be the whole story. Diggins signed a two-year deal with the Sky last offseason. She’s a seven-time All-Star. Since then she’s been openly frustrated with her role and the team’s direction. That kind of public discontent usually leads to trade rumors. And sure enough, whispers have started that Chicago might move her before the August deadline.
One report, however, says the Sky aren’t actively shopping her. Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune wrote that despite the tension, league sources indicate the front office isn’t trying to deal Diggins. “Diggins’ absence from the court and the Sky’s ongoing lack of success seemed to set the table for an early fissure midway through the first season of her two-way deal,” Poe wrote. “But despite this recent discomfort between the two sides, league sources say the front office is not currently making an effort to shop Diggins for a deadline trade.”
What Diggins Is Unhappy About
According to Poe, the 35-year-old has aired a long list of complaints. She’s frustrated about moving to the bench after Courtney Vandersloot returned from an ACL injury. She’s unhappy with the resources available to the team. She’s questioned coach Tyler Marsh’s decision-making. It’s a lot.
The Sky tried to keep her happy this offseason by cutting back her practice and shootaround time to help her manage her knee. That concession hasn’t stopped the frustration from boiling over. Diggins is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 29 minutes a night. Those are solid numbers but clearly not enough to keep her satisfied with how things are going.
This Feels Familiar
The situation has a weird echo of what happened with Angel Reese last year. Reese went public with her unhappiness in Chicago and the front office shipped her to Atlanta in April. It’s not a direct comparison Reese is younger and on a rookie deal, but the pattern is there. A star player gets fed up, says something publicly and suddenly the team has to decide whether to keep her or cut bait.
The Sky are stuck between trying to win now and rebuilding. Diggins is 35 with a balky knee. Moving her could bring back younger assets. Keeping her could mean more frustration and more losses. The deadline is coming up in August and for now the front office says it’s not shopping her. But things change fast in the WNBA, especially when a player is this outspoken.
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