Skylar Diggins-Smith is putting in the work – even if she can’t access the Phoenix Mercury facilities.
Diggins Smith, who is on maternity leave and embroiled in a feud with the franchise, will be a free agent next year. And on Saturday, Bridget Pettis, a former Mercury guard, posted a video of Diggins-Smith to Instagram.
In the video, the guard is seen shooting jumpers, dribbling between her legs and driving into the lane for layups.
Diggins-Smith, a six-time WNBA All-Star, missed the end of the 2022 regular season and the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Las Vegas Aces because of personal reasons.
She then went on maternity leave at the start of this season and, as she revealed in a series of tweets in early August, has not been allowed to use the teams’ practice facilities or access other team resources: massage therapists, chiropractors, chefs, strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists.
“I’m fine with being distanced,” she wrote on X. “Now I can’t possibly be the villain anymore.”
The Mercury (9-30) have struggled without Diggins-Smith and have the worst record in the league. In their final home game of the season, the Mercury fell to the Las Vegas Aces, 94-73, but Sug Sutton provided a bright spot with a triple-double – the first in league history by a player drafted after the first round.
The team wraps up its regular season Sunday on the road against the Aces.
