Skylar Diggins is making it clear she is not thrilled with the latest move in Chicago.
The former Notre Dame star, now in her first season with the Sky, took to social media on Monday morning after learning she was being shifted out of the starting lineup. On her Instagram story, Diggins wrote, "Now I'm coming off the bench?? Cool"
Diggins had started all 19 games for Chicago this season and had not come off the bench for a team since 2016, when she did so for the Dallas Wings. Her reaction came ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the Phoenix Mercury, after the team decided to make the change.
Sky head coach Tyler Marsh later confirmed the move to the bench, but he did not get into details, saying he would rather keep conversations with players private.
Chicago’s season has already taken a sharp turn. The Sky opened 3-1, then dropped 13 of their next 16 games to sit at 3-13 since that fast start.
The offseason also brought plenty of attention, including the trade of franchise cornerstone Angel Reese, which pointed toward a rebuild. Instead, the Sky added veterans and framed the year more like a reload.
Courtney Vandersloot’s return has also played into the lineup shuffle. She had been out all season before coming back for the last three games, and Marsh appears to have chosen to give her more minutes while moving Diggins to the bench.
Diggins has never been one to stay quiet, and this latest post fit that reputation. Her arrival in Chicago was one of the offseason surprises, and now the fit between player and team looks like it may be under strain.
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Now Talich looks like more than a depth piece. He has added muscle, broadened his game and given Notre Dame a versatile defender who can handle responsibilities at safety and in different package looks for coordinator Chris Ash, including work as a strong-side outside linebacker option. For a defense looking for reliable pieces it can move around, Talich has become the sort of player coaches lean on when the game plan gets specific. [Read more 🡒]