Skylar Diggins Is 35 and Joining the Sky to Fix What Went Wrong Last Season

The Chicago Sky are turning the page on a brutal 2025 season, and they're betting a seven-time All-Star can lead them out of the basement. Skylar Diggins, coming off a year with the Seattle Storm where she averaged 15.5 points and 6.0 assists, is the headliner in Chicago's overhaul as the Sky prepare to open their season Saturday night against the expansion Portland Fire.

Last year was rough. Chicago tied for the league low with just 10 victories and knew something had to change. So they went all in on a guard-heavy rebuild, adding Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, and Jacy Sheldon to the backcourt while also bringing in Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens up front. They even drafted UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez in the first round. It's a completely different roster.

Experience Over Everything Right Now

At 35 years old, Diggins isn't coming in to light up the scoreboard every night. She's here to be a stabilizing force while the Sky deal with some serious injury concerns. Star point guard Courtney Vandersloot, a five-time All-Star, tore her ACL last June and is still rehabbing. Carrington and Stevens are also sidelined as Chicago opens a four-game road trip. That's a lot to overcome early.

"I don't think you can go wrong with a lot of good guards, capable guards," Sky coach Tyler Marsh told reporters. "It's not like we're just stock holding a bunch of players. It's players that can contribute and we're going to find ways to utilize them."

Portland's Mission: Defense First, Everything Else Later

The Fire are getting their inaugural season started with four straight home games, including matchups against the New York Liberty, the Connecticut Sun, and Chicago on Saturday. Coach Alex Sarama is being realistic about the timeline. "I feel in a pretty good place with where our defense is at," Sarama said. "The offense is gonna take a little longer. Just a new system, players doing a good job getting used to it."

Portland's roster came together through the expansion draft. They grabbed forward Bridget Carleton from Minnesota with the first pick, then added guards Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker along with Haley Jones. Barker believes the foundation is solid. "When people make mistakes, we pick each other up," she said. "There's a lot of effort and energy, and you can't teach effort and energy."

Chicago won't even see their home court until May 20 against the Dallas Wings. Saturday at Portland is just the start of a long, rebuilding journey for the Sky.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.