Skylar Diggins' public reaction raises the question of the Chicago Sky's direction amid a difficult stretch in the WNBA season
Skylar Diggins, one of the most experienced guards in the WNBA, publicly reacted after indications that she could lose her place in the Chicago Sky's starting five. According to a Daily Herald report published on July 6, 2026, Diggins expressed dissatisfaction on social media with a possible move to the bench ahead of the road game against the Phoenix Mercury, scheduled for July 7 local time in Phoenix. The club had not officially announced a change to the starting five by that point, so the situation can currently be described as a personnel decision that became public before formal confirmation. Still, the reaction itself from the experienced player is significant enough because it comes during a period in which the Chicago Sky is seeking stability after a series of losses, injuries and major changes to the roster. According to the official WNBA website, Chicago had a 6-14 record ahead of the game against Phoenix, placing it near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and further increasing pressure on the coaching staff.
The Daily Herald reported that Diggins reacted in an Instagram post to the possibility of coming off the bench and emphasized that, in her own view, she had so far remained quiet and professional despite frustrations. Such a statement is not only an episode between a player and a coach, but a signal that deeper questions are being discussed within the team: who should organize the offense, what role veterans have, how much room should be given to returning players after injuries and how close Chicago is at all to the identity it had announced during the spring. Diggins was brought in April as a major reinforcement, and the Chicago Sky, in its official presentation, highlighted her reputation as an elite passer, offensive creator and veteran leader. When such a player faces the possibility of being removed from the starting lineup, it is a decision that necessarily goes beyond one regular-season game.
A veteran brought in as a pillar of the new project
On April 11, 2026, the Chicago Sky officially announced the signing of Skylar Diggins and presented her as a seven-time WNBA All-Star player and a six-time All-WNBA team selection. General manager Jeff Pagliocca then, according to the club announcement, emphasized that she was a player the organization had long wanted to bring in, while coach Tyler Marsh highlighted her speed, shot-creation ability and impact on teammates. These descriptions were important because Chicago entered the season with a changed team structure, new perimeter options and the ambition to move away from the previous period of instability. In that plan, Diggins was supposed to be one of the people who would accelerate the development of younger players, but also someone who could immediately take responsibility in the closing moments of games.
The official WNBA profile states that Diggins is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season, with career averages of 16.3 points and 5.3 assists. Those numbers confirm that this is not a marginal role, but one of Chicago's main perimeter options. At the same time, statistics alone do not explain the entire situation. During the season, Chicago went through fluctuations in shooting, rhythm and defense, and the official club analysis of the first month stated that the team had pronounced differences in field-goal percentage from game to game. In such an environment, point guards are expected not only to create points, but also to stabilize the offensive structure, pace and emotional balance of the team. That is precisely why Diggins' public frustration carries weight, because it comes from a player who was assigned one of the key roles in the new Chicago.
Courtney Vandersloot's return changes the distribution of minutes
The most important sporting context of a possible change in the starting five is the return of Courtney Vandersloot, one of the most important players in Chicago Sky history. In April, the club announced that it had re-signed Vandersloot, describing her as the franchise's leading scorer, a WNBA champion and a player returning after an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered on June 7, 2025. According to club data, during her previous spell in Chicago, Vandersloot set numerous franchise records, including first place in total assists, steals and games played. Her return is not just the return of another veteran, but the return of a player whose style shaped the Sky's offensive identity for decades.
In a text about her return, the Chicago Sky stated that Vandersloot made her season debut on June 26, 2026, against the Portland Fire, slightly more than a year after the injury. The club highlighted that in her first game after rehabilitation, although under a minutes restriction, she became the only player in league history with at least 10 points and seven assists in fewer than 14 minutes. In the same game, Chicago, according to the club announcement, produced a record offensive night, including 38 assists, a new club record for points and an exceptionally high field-goal percentage. Coach Tyler Marsh then emphasized that Vandersloot looked as if she had never left, although she still had a way to go to full form. Such a return logically raises the question of her role in the starting lineup, but at the same time creates a delicate relationship with Diggins, who began the season as the central organizer of the offense.
A possible inclusion of Vandersloot among the starters does not necessarily have to mean a reduction in Diggins' value, but it changes the hierarchy and rhythm of the perimeter line. Chicago now has several players who like to have the ball in their hands, including Natasha Cloud, and the official roster also lists several young perimeter options seeking room. The coaching staff therefore has to find a balance between experience, defensive intensity, shooting and ball control. If Diggins really moves to the bench, that could mean a different distribution of playmaking, but the problem for the club is the fact that the decision has obviously opened public dissatisfaction.
A poor run of results has amplified every personnel decision
According to the official WNBA website, Chicago had a 6-14 record ahead of July 7, and the schedule brought a road game against the Phoenix Mercury followed by games against the Los Angeles Sparks, Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm. Such a run of games comes in a very sensitive part of the regular season, because the difference between an attempt to return to the playoff race and early thinking about the future can quickly grow. The 2026 WNBA season is taking place in the expanded context of a league that, according to an earlier Chicago Sky announcement, is playing its 30th season and includes new or returning franchises such as the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. The competition is broader, the rhythm is demanding, and every longer losing streak further reduces tolerance for experiments.
The Sky opened the season far more optimistically than the current record suggests. The club analysis after the first month stated that Chicago was 3-5 after eight games, but had shown resilience on the road and an ability to win in difficult environments. The same text emphasized that the team was already not complete at that time, because Courtney Vandersloot and DiJonai Carrington were off the court, Rickea Jackson suffered an injury that ended her season, and Azurá Stevens, Gabriela Jaquez, Kamilla Cardoso and Natasha Cloud were also dealing with various health limitations or problems. This is an important part of the story because the results crisis cannot be viewed separately from the state of the roster. Still, injuries do not remove responsibility for decisions made when key players begin to return.
Diggins had already spoken publicly earlier in the season about the team's mentality. The Chicago Sun-Times reported in June that after a loss to the Toronto Tempo she emphasized the need for Chicago to pull itself out of what she called a losing mentality, while coach Tyler Marsh accepted part of the responsibility for the team's condition. That earlier statement now gives additional context to her reaction to a possible move to the bench. According to the available information, this is not an isolated moment of anger after one tactical decision, but a continuation of tension that developed through results, injuries, changes in the rotation and expectations from veterans. For a team trying to build a new culture, the public communication of such dissatisfaction can become just as important as the basketball adjustment itself.
Roster changes began before the start of the season
Chicago made several moves in the spring that clearly showed the organization was changing direction. The biggest was Angel Reese's departure to the Atlanta Dream, which the club officially announced on April 6, 2026. According to the Chicago Sky statement, Reese was sent to Atlanta in exchange for two first-round draft picks, while Pagliocca said that the trade was conceived for roster balance and as an opportunity for all sides. The club then emphasized that Reese averaged 14.1 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 64 appearances for Chicago and that she was a two-time All-Star player. Such a departure is not a small adjustment, but a change in the franchise's identity, especially when it happens ahead of a season in which a step forward is expected.
Soon after that, Chicago brought in Diggins, re-signed Vandersloot, added other experienced players and opened space for new faces. That combination could have looked attractive on paper: enough experience to avoid a complete rebuild and enough freshness to create a new dynamic. But the season quickly showed how difficult it is to combine new roles, injuries and expectations in a short period of time. Rickea Jackson, according to available reports and club context, suffered an injury that ended her season, while other players moved in and out of the rotation. In such circumstances, coach Marsh often had to adjust lineups, minutes and offensive priorities. Diggins' public reaction can therefore also be read as a symptom of a process in which Chicago has still not agreed with itself on what kind of team it wants to be.
What a move to the bench could mean for Diggins and Chicago
In professional basketball, moving a veteran to the bench does not have to be a demotion if it is part of a clear plan. Many teams use experienced point guards as stabilizers of the second unit, thereby avoiding a drop in rhythm when the starters rest. In Chicago's case, such an explanation would make sporting sense, especially if the coaching staff believes that Vandersloot currently connects the starting five better or that Diggins can get more freedom against opposing reserve units. However, such a move requires precise communication, because players with long All-Star résumés often connect a role in the starting five with trust, status and responsibility. If that communication is not clear, a rotation decision can grow into a question of the relationship between the locker room and the coaching staff.
According to the available information, there was no official confirmation from the Chicago Sky that Diggins had permanently lost her starting spot. Because of that, it is important to distinguish a short-term tactical adjustment from a long-term shift. One game against the Phoenix Mercury could serve as a test of a different distribution of minutes, while keeping Diggins on the bench for longer would mean a more serious change in the season plan. Chicago must also take into account one more element: Diggins is not just a statistical category, but a vocal and visible veteran who can influence the tone around the team with her reactions. If her energy is directed toward accepting a new role, the Sky could gain a deeper and more balanced rotation. If the dissatisfaction continues, the club could enter a period of additional questions precisely when it needs continuity and calm.
For Diggins, this situation is also important because of the stage of her career. The WNBA profile states that she was born on August 2, 1990, and has 11 years of experience in the league, which places her among veterans who can still strongly influence the game, but who increasingly face role adjustments. Her career includes a high level of production, a reputation as a creator and experience from several organizations. In Chicago, she was supposed to be the face of a new beginning, at least in the perimeter line, and now she has found herself at the center of a debate about how such a beginning is carried out when results are absent. That is precisely why the continuation of the story will not depend only on whether she starts the next game, but also on whether Chicago manages to explain, implement and stabilize its personnel decisions.
A franchise at a crossroads in the regular season
The Chicago Sky enters July with a combination that is dangerous for any team: a poor record, high expectations from veterans, the return of important players from injuries and an impatient environment around the franchise. According to the official WNBA website, the team was among the lower-ranked teams in the conference ahead of the road game at Phoenix, but the schedule still left room for correcting its direction. This means that the coaching staff does not necessarily have to choose between the present and the future, but it must quickly show that there is a clear plan. In that sense, Skylar Diggins' reaction is not only a personal story, but also a test of locker-room management.
If Chicago wants to salvage the competitive part of the season, it must find a sustainable relationship between Diggins and Vandersloot, between young players and veterans, and between developmental goals and the need for wins. In the spring, the club claimed it was building a more balanced roster, and now that claim is being tested in the most difficult circumstances. Diggins can be part of the solution both as a starter and as a player who leads the second unit, but only if the role is clearly defined and if the team accepts it as part of a broader strategy. Otherwise, every next game could turn into a referendum on the rotation instead of an opportunity to improve the results.
For the WNBA audience outside Chicago, this situation shows how thin the line is between ambitious reshuffling and results instability. Chicago is not only a team losing games, but a franchise that changed the face of its roster in a short period, lost important players to injuries and is now trying to integrate one of its greatest legends alongside a veteran brought in as a new reinforcement. Skylar Diggins' public reaction is therefore a warning that sporting decisions, however tactically justified they may be, must have a clear communication and organizational foundation.
Sources:
- Daily Herald – report on Skylar Diggins' public reaction to a possible move to the bench ahead of the game against the Phoenix Mercury (link)
- WNBA – official Skylar Diggins profile, season and career statistics (link)
- WNBA – official Chicago Sky page with record, schedule and roster (link)
- Chicago Sky – official announcement of the signing of Skylar Diggins and statements by club officials (link)
- Chicago Sky – club analysis of Courtney Vandersloot's return after injury and her impact on the team (link)
- Chicago Sky – club analysis of the first month of the season, injuries and roster-continuity problems (link)
- Chicago Sky – official announcement of the Angel Reese trade to the Atlanta Dream and context of the roster change (link)
- Chicago Sun-Times – report on Skylar Diggins' earlier comments about the team's mentality during a poor run (link)