Coming off a 10-34 season, Marsh and general manager Jeff Pagliocca knew they needed to raise the talent level on the roster. They also wanted to get tougher.<\/p>\n
Diggins could help with both. She\u2019s known for being an elite passer, a pesky defender and according to teammate Rachel Banham, a constant source of classic quotes in practice. But the thing that has defined her 12-year career more than anything else is that she runs a tight ship.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s gonna be nights when she\u2019s gonna be tough on us, and that\u2019s important,\u201d Banham said. \u201cWe need that. That\u2019s what\u2019s going to get us over the hump and into that playoff push.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diggins grew up in South Bend, Indiana, raised by a mother who didn\u2019t let much slide. Straight A\u2019s were expected. A college scholarship was too. Strong standards, Diggins came to believe, demand respect.<\/p>\n
So far in training camp, she\u2019s shown more than told. Diggins says the team is in the honeymoon phase \u2014 vibes are high, and the vision feels within reach. But even the honeymoon has had its buzzkills.<\/p>\n
Three of the Sky\u2019s major free-agent additions \u2014 Azura Stevens, DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot \u2014 are currently out with injuries, which means preseason lineups haven\u2019t yet reflected what the Sky are building toward. The Sky\u2019s young and largely new core of Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, and Jacy Sheldon are figuring out how to jell on the fly.<\/p>\n
Everyone is taking cues from Diggins.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to still be somewhere where my opinion feels cherished,\u201d Diggins said. \u201cBut I also understand that a lot of young people are looking up to me, so I\u2019m trying to be a good girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
At 35, Diggins has a clear sense of what the game means to her and what she wants to pass along.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019ve been in the game so long, when you peel off all the layers, that\u2019s really what I play for now,\u201d Diggins said. \u201cNot for the attention, just the joy that I feel on the floor, the release that I feel on the floor and how it\u2019s like a safe haven to me. I still cherish the game and keep it very pure.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in the game so long, you see what you get out is what you put in. It\u2019s like an ATM machine. That\u2019s what I try to teach the younger players. Just show them how I show up and why I\u2019ve been here so long.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diggins\u2019 decision to take a leap of faith on the Sky had layers to it. As is often the case in free agency, she relied first on the word on the street. She played with Banham at Unrivaled, who spoke highly of Marsh and his vision.<\/p>\n
She was also drawn to the fact that two members of the 2021 championship core \u2014 Vandersloot and Stevens \u2014 wanted to return.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been on the other side in 2021 playing against that championship team,\u201d Diggins said. \u201cSeeing the arena light up. Seeing Chicago basketball at its peak. I\u2019ve been here as a fan since before I was in the league. When Ticha Penicheiro signed, I came to her first game. I\u2019ve always been submerged in the culture of Chicago Sky. I know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than anything, the decision came back to her Midwestern roots.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it didn\u2019t need to be sold because I was so close to family,\u201d Diggins said. \u201cBut also from a basketball operations side, just the moves that they were making \u2014 really putting their money where their mouth was and wanting to make some good change toward getting back competitive, in the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n When she was drafted No. 7 in 2024, it felt like a new day in Chicago.<\/p>\n [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] read<\/p>\n![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6e782e2\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4759x3173+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F8e%2Fe3%2F38b1bd324514b381eb70542bb616%2Fangel-dream.jpg\")
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\n \u00a0\n <\/p>\n
![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/9ec3cf9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5765x3844+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F8a%2Fbd%2Fc98a09734d478db255ef07736a2a%2F2273777425.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sky](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/f49173f\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3600x2400+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F4c%2Fdc%2Fbbd3bd9245ebb5b2d33af5ef986a%2Fap24154033724026.jpg\")
<\/p>\n