The superpower of the star of the WNBA Skylar Diggins? Play Defense – Sur and off the field

If you tell Skylar Diggins that it is defensive, it is a good chance that it will take in compliment.

The 35 -year -old leader of the Storm of Seattle was the elevation of all aspects of his game, with a strong accent on his defense. This season, Diggins is on average 1.2 interceptions and 0.8 blocks per game – numbers that do not occur by chance. For a 5’9 ”guard to make shots at almost a block, a game is rare, but Diggins prosperous on unbeatable expectations.

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Even if she was ten years old to play in the W, 2025 marked a lot of first for her. In July, she became the first player of Wgb History to record a triple-double (11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists) while playing less than 25 minutes, and the first WNBA player to win 15 assists in a star match. She also equaled the Storm franchise record with a career summit of 14 assists in one match on May 23.

Among his other first include returning to the court after having his second child as well as playing (and having a participation) UnrivaledA basketball league 3 against 3 professional which was launched in January 2025, founded by the stars of the WNBA Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

With its views of the play of the playoffs, What Caught up with the player after a vancouver shot to talk about resilience, recovery and redefinition.

Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Diggins was mainly born with a basketball in her hands. And his style of play? Bold. “I have never been shy to go bankrupt my own track,” she says.

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After having excelled at the Washington High School – she was appointed Gatorade Athlete of the year in 2009 – Diggins continued to Notre Dame, where she led the Fighting Irish at three consecutive ovens and two championship games of the NCAA. After her university career, she was drafted 3rd in the general classification by the shock of Tulsa in the draft of the 2013 WNBA where she quickly became a star; She did the All Rookie team that year.

While she was known to be intrepid on the ground, Diggins sought to repel the envelope when she also left her. During her recruit year, she entered history by becoming the first female athlete to sign with Roc Nation Sports, the Jay-Z sports management agency. In 2017, Diggins took another major step by signing with Puma. “I signed with them before I even have a basketball shoe,” she said, laughing.

And shortly before, its professional movements began to become more personal. After Birth of his first childShe has openly recommended with other players to improve Maternity protection in the WNBApaving the way for what has become unofficially known as “Skylar clause”, which guarantees full salary during maternity leave.

Mother of a 6-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, Diggins, says she experienced postpartum depression after the two pregnancies. “I thought about my retirement – I didn’t feel motivated to leave my children, especially my daughter,” she said. “But the game really breastfeed me, and it was so important for them to see me overcome these obstacles.”

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Diggins does not only look at the future, she actively defends it. She joins other veteran players for defend a better salary,, Improved the advantages of maternity and parentsAnd improved resources for players on and off the field through a CBA (or a collective agreement). “I do not negotiate the ABC for me – it’s for players and future stars in our league,” explains Diggins. “I stand next to many strong women who are fighting the right fight at the moment.”

It is not a pure speech – these around it say that they can feel everything by taking root. “”[Sky] wants to be the thermostat, not the thermometer – the thermometer tells you how hot or cold in the room, but the thermostat defines the temperature, “said the 14th year WNBA veteran and Nneka Ogwumike before IX basketball. “One thing that I like the most for her is how she really takes matters into hand in a way that makes her as the manifesto of things.” Ogwumike and Diggins are not only teammates – they have been friends for almost two decades, First level crossing at the United States Basketball Junior Camps only from 2008 to 2011. But last year marked the first time that they shared a WNBA wardrobe in Seattle.

Others at the top of the Storm organization also understand it: “Sky is an impulse in the way it takes. It is always through action,” said Storm Noelle Quinn chief coach The spokesperson-review. And the next generation takes note. Angel Reese, the dynamic heaven of chicago forward “Bayou Barbie” in LSU, say clearly when she welcomed Diggins on her Shameless angel Podcast: “She walked to run.”

Beyond the spotlight, Diggins allows himself to lower his guard. “I learned the importance of recovery Over the years, “she said.” No more. “Now she practices Pilates daily.

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She also practices more mindfulness through techniques such as boxing in box (or inhaling slowly through the nose for 4 counts, retaining breathing for 4 accounts and exhaling for 4 chiefs) so that she can help regulate herself. To settle her mind, you will sometimes find a comfort show playing in the background while she is preparing for a game. “TV or a program that I know well, as Martin“, She said.

And a large part of what she learned from the game helped her in this new parenting phase. “The words I would use to describe my defense on the ground are energy, tenacity and anticipation,” she says. “And once I get home, I need these same skills. I need energy for my toddler, the tenacity of the bustle of being a single mother and anticipation to help manage my priorities while maintaining balance.”

In addition, his biggest fans nowadays do not need to pay for tickets and ask for selfies. “I do not receive any pressure from them – I’m just mom. I don’t even have to play well, ”she stops. “I don’t even need playAnd I know what they think of me.

For Diggins, defense is more than a line of statistics – it is a state of mind. It is the energy it brings to the court, the tenacity that it applies to the challenges and to the anticipation which maintains it one step ahead, on and out of hard wood. It is the same state of mind that fuels his plea, entrepreneurship and commitment to his family. “I want to leave the league in a better place than when I entered it and make sure that the opportunities I have now, my daughter will have,” she said. “When people look back and think of Skylar Diggins, I want them to know that I was still trying to raise and empower the next generation of WNBA players.”

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After a decade of records, forge new paths and rewrite what is possible for women in sport, Diggins does not only play the game – it is determined to shape its future, in order to make its impact will be felt long After the final buzzer.

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