dpJuly 6, 2026Updated July 7, 2026, 8:45 a.m. ET
Chicago Sky point guard Skylar Diggins confirmed on Monday, July 6, she would be coming off the bench after starting all 19 games this season.
“I’ve been putting my body on the line all year for this team,” Diggins told the media at a shootaround in Phoenix, where the Sky will play the Mercury on Tuesday. “I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I’ve been great professionally, that’s the decision that’s made, and I gotta live with that.
“I have no idea where this is coming from or if it’s a permanent decision. I’d like it to be if that’s what’s gonna make us be the most successful at the end of the day.”
Earlier in the day, Diggins had posted on social media: “Now I’m coming off the bench?????? Cool.”
Then she posted a video saying: “And the crazy part about it all is that … I’ve been so quiet. I’ve been so good and quiet.”
Diggins, 35, is likely being benched in favor of Courtney Vandersloot, 37, who returned to the lineup on June 26 after recovering from a torn right ACL.
“It’s a coach’s decision. It’s my decision, and the conversations that me and Skylar had will stay between us,” Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. “She understands how effective she can still be and how big of a piece that she is for us on this team.”
Diggins, who was an All-Star last season, is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 29.1 minutes a game. Vandersloot has averaged 8.7 points and 6.0 assists in 16 minutes of play.
The Sky, Diggins said, have failed to provide the necessary infrastructure for success.
“Being in this environment, emotionally for me, not having everything that we need to be successful,” Diggins said. “I’ve been elite for decades. And it’s not just from showing up. We fight so hard in our [collective bargaining agreement] to have access to a cold tub, a hot tub, a sauna, a steam room, a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist, IVs and things like that.
“I was thinking we were going to be in a practice facility, and other things that were told to me. And that’s not been the case. There’s been things outside of people’s control that I understand, too, a lot of moving parts. Lots of places I’ve been were in that process as well, so I get it. But it’s hard to perform at a certain level without those [resources].”
The Sky, who retooled in the offseason by trading away Angel Reese, won three of their first four games before Rickea Jackson tore the ACL in her left knee. Chicago has won three games since then and is 13th in the WNBA standings with a 6-14 record.
