​It had only been four months since the clouds seemed to part for the Chicago Sky. After another rough season and the trade of Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream, the Sky pushed hard to land notable free agents and then made solid selections in the draft. The names that headlined the offseason were Rickea Jackson, Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, Azurá Stevens, Skylar Diggins, and Gabriela Jaquez. That veteran-and-young mix, paired with third-year center Kamilla Cardoso, suggested a blueprint for immediate competitiveness and long-term growth.
Yet here we are again with frustrations simmering. Jackson, the Sky’s leading scorer, is out for the year with an ACL injury. Carrington’s debut has been delayed as she continues her rehab. Inconsistency has plagued the team, and even after a win over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, Chicago sits at 7-14 with little to no playoff hope remaining.
Then, on Monday, Diggins posted a video on social media that quickly went viral, signaling her frustration with the Sky as she revealed she would be coming off the bench. “I’ve been so good and quiet,” Diggins said on Instagram. “Now I’m coming off the bench?”
Sure enough, the Sky confirmed that Diggins would come off the bench against the Mercury on Tuesday. Before the game, she was added to the injury report with a knee issue and did not suit up. In speaking with Alissa Hirsch of the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday, Diggins said, “I’ve been putting my body on the line. I’m here for this team. I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me. I’ve been great professionally. That’s the decision that’s been made, and I’ve got to live with that.” Diggins, a 12-year WNBA veteran, had started every game this season. The only time she had come off the bench previously was in her fourth year with the Dallas Wings in 2016.
Overall, Diggins has posted solid but not stellar numbers. She’s averaging 14.2 points and 6.9 assists per game. As noted by Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic, Diggins is shooting 51.5 percent from the field, the lowest mark she’s posted since 2016, and 38.2 percent from three-point range. In the paint, she has struggled, recording a career-worst 41.1 percent.
Meanwhile, veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot—who recently recovered from an ACL tear sustained in 2025—is slowly easing back onto the court. The expectation had been that Vandersloot would resume a starting role as soon as she was fully ready. Throughout all of this, Diggins has publicly criticized the team’s “loser mentality” after heavy losses and openly questioned head coach Tyler Marsh over his decision to bench her.
Regardless of the on-court numbers or the potential strategic reasons to bench a star, Diggins’ remarks make her the latest elite player to question the franchise. The controversy surrounding Reese’s benching last August—driven by a high-profile demand for better SEO—only adds to the ongoing scrutiny of the Sky’s leadership and direction.