list WNBA The list of stars set to join the Unrivaled Basketball League continues to grow. On Thursday, the league's official social media accounts announced that Seattle Storms point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith will be heading to Miami during the WNBA offseason to join the brand new 3×3 league for the sport's top players.
Unrivaled will begin in January and run for eight weeks, featuring 30 of the best WNBA players, 17 of whom have already been announced. The league was founded by stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart and offers players rights with a minimum salary of $100,000 per year. Six teams of five will play 3×3 games on a full court, condensed to four quarters.
Who is Skylar Diggins Smith?
Diggins-Smith is a six-time All-Star (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) and six-time All-WNBA selection. She is one of the few veteran stars who has never played overseas during the WNBA offseason. For her career, she averages 16.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
She is averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 assists per game this season as the Storm go 19-11 and are fourth in the WNBA standings. Earlier this week, Diggins-Smith was scathing about her team's effort in a loss to the Mystics.
What does the addition of Skylar Diggins-Smith mean?
First, Skylar Diggins-Smith is a fantastic acquisition given the fact that she has consistently been one of the WNBA's most prolific scoring guards over the past decade. She was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo and already ranks 33rd in WNBA scoring overall.
Additionally, at 34, Diggins-Smith will be the oldest player to join Unrivaled (so far). Her inclusion indicates that Unrivaled may include not only the game's younger stars, but also the league's veterans. Older WNBA All-Stars such as Alyssa Thomas (32), DeWanna Bonner (37), Diana Taurasi (42) and Brittney Griner (33) have yet to publicly commit to joining Unrivaled. However, Diggins-Smith's inclusion may indicate that an older generation of stars will indeed join the new offseason league.
It's also worth noting that Diggins-Smith was one of the few stars in the WNBA who never played overseas. Now, she has a chance to build her brand domestically and compete at a high level while taking advantage of the opportunity to spend the winter in the U.S. The fact that Diggins-Smith is even getting a chance to play in the Unrivaled highlights how much the landscape of professional women's basketball in the U.S. has changed.
What other WNBA stars have committed to playing in Unrivaled?
Diggins-Smith's addition brings the number of WNBA players who have committed to play for Unrivaled this winter to 17.
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Alisha Grey (Dream)
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Angel Reese (Sky)
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Arike Ogunbowale (Wings)
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Breanna Stewart (Liberty)
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Chelsea Gray (Ace)
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Dearrica Hamby (Sparks)
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Jackie Young (Ace)
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Jewel Lloyd (Storm)
- Kalea Copper (Mercury)
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Kayla McBride (Lynx)
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Kelsey Plum (Ace)
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Marina Mabry (Sunday)
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Napheesa Collier (Lynx)
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Natasha Cloud (Mercury)
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Ryne Howard (Dream)
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Sato Sabari (Wings)
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Skylar Diggins Smith (Storm)
Thirteen more players will be announced in the coming weeks as the league prepares to kick off in January. Napheesa Collier said three of the players yet to be announced are rookies. Unrivaled also said: Retired players may also be considered for the position..
