The reaction from fans and critics continues to pour in regarding the Chicago Sky’s decision to bench Skylar Diggins abruptly midway through the season. While the controversy refuses to die down, WNBA analyst Zena Keita believes that the situation has left Coach Tyler Marsh with too many choices.
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In the July 7 episode of the ‘No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show‘ podcast, Zena Keita and Annie Costabile discuss Diggins’ social media posts from a couple of days back, and what it means for the Sky team selection going forward.
“We thought it would be a quiet year in Chicago,” Keita said. “You put Skylar Diggins, Natasha Cloud, and Rickea Jackson all on the team, you are going to have a little bit of fireworks.
“Obviously, Courtney Vandersloot has been back a few games, and Tyler Marsh is now trying to see, ‘What am I gonna do with my new embarrassment of riches at the point guard position?’ You got three All-Star-level veteran point guards available to you in Courtney Vandersloot, Skylar Diggins and Natasha Cloud, and then you have this unbelievable scorer in Sydney Taylor who’s moved into the starting position.”
Diggins had locked down the point guard position this season. But looking at the statistics of all three players, one can resonate with Keita and her opinion that Coach Marsh does have a conundrum to deal with.
Diggins has started all 19 games she played for the Sky this season. She is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting 39.2% from the field. She is third on the team in scoring.
She sat out the game against the Mercury on Tuesday due to an apparent knee issue. The Sky won that game, which Vandersloot started.
But here’s the thing: The Sky management can actually make all three players (Diggins, Vandersloot, and Cloud) complement each other going forward this season.
With a 7-14 record, they are currently 13th in the league table, far from playoff contention. They will need all three, Diggins, Cloud, and Vandersloot, to force a turnaround in results, and maybe even push for a playoff spot.
Although Diggins showed frustration in her initial reaction on social media, she is willing to work with Coach Marsh and the team’s decisions.
“Every decision that’s made basketball-wise is made by [Marsh]. That’s my boss. Even if I don’t like decisions, I have to be a pro and go with whatever he thinks,” she said to the media after Monday’s practice session.
The Sky would do well to sort out their roster and chemistry issues and continue the winning momentum from this point onwards.