Skylar Diggins-Smith, one of the top point guards in the WNBA, has made a significant move in her career by signing a two-year deal with the Seattle Storm.

The contract will see her earn $219,000 in the first year, and $214,66 in the second year. The news was first reported on Thursday by Howard Megdal at The Next.

The contract not only brings a talented player to Seattle, but also reunited Diggins-Smith with her former Notre Dame teammate Jewell Loyd. They played together in the 2012-13 season, a time when Notre Dame reached the Final Four.

Diggins-Smith posted a hype video of her practicing in a Storm shirt on X, formerly Twitter, with the hashtags “##StormCrazies #TakeCover #StormySky” following the announcement of her contract.

Diggins-Smith, who is 33 years old, had a notable season in 2022 with the Phoenix Mercury, averaging 19.7 points per game, nearly a career-high 5.5 assists per game and four rebounds per game, per Cassandra Negley of Yahoo Sports. It earned her a fourth all-WNBA First-Team nod and consideration for the MVP award. Her transfer to Seattle comes after a period of tension with the Mercury, which included not playing in the last season while on maternity leave.

On Wednesday, Seattle made room in their salary cap by sending guard Kia Nurse and this year's fourth draft pick to the Los Angeles Sparks, paving the way for potentially two significant player acquisitions. This comes as the team looks to bounce back after missing the playoffs in 2023, the first time since 2015. The Storm are adjusting to a new chapter following Sue Bird's retirement and Breanna Stewart's move to the Liberty last year.

Diggins-Smith leaves Mercury after history of tension

 

She was reportedly denied access to the Mercury's practice facility and resources during her maternity leave. This follows a history of discord, including a bench dispute with Diana Taurasi. Communication about her status from the Mercury was minimal, aside from acknowledging her contract and leave. Last year, Diggins-Smith expressed her eagerness to play for a different team on Twitter.

Diggins-Smith joined the Mercury in 2020 through a trade from the Dallas Wings, where she voiced dissatisfaction and felt unsupported during her first pregnancy in 2019. She criticized the Wings for providing limited resources at that time.

Originally drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA Draft from Notre Dame, the Shock relocated to Dallas in 2015. Diggins-Smith played six seasons out of nine with the franchise, earning four All-Star selections in that time.