WNBA star Skylar Diggins-Smith played an entire season with the Dallas Wings while pregnant and 'didn't tell a soul'
- Four-time WNBA all-star Skylar Diggins-Smith played an entire season for the Dallas Wings while pregnant and "didn't tell a soul."
- While addressing criticism of her decision to sit out the 2019 season, the 5-foot-9 guard revealed in a tweet that she struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son in April.
- Diggins-Smith seemingly lamented the support - or lack thereof - she received from the Wings, writing that "having no support from your own organization is unfortunate."
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Four-time WNBA all-star Skylar Diggins-Smith played the entire 2018 season while pregnant, and she "didn't tell a soul."
The 5-foot-9 Dallas Wings guard sent a series of tweets on Saturday, responding to criticism of her decision to sit out the 2019 WNBA season.
She wrote that she struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son in April and "took two FULL months away from everything" to recover.
Diggins-Smith seemingly lamented the support - or lack thereof - she received from the Wings, writing that "having no support from your own organization is unfortunate" and that she had "limited resources" at her disposal "to be successful mentally/physically."
Diggins-Smith presumably chose to keep her pregnancy secret during the 2018 season due to concerns regarding how Dallas and the league would treat her.
Still, the product of Notre Dame did not allow playing for two to slow her down. She ranked fourth in the WNBA in total minutes and was top 10 in the league in points, assists, and steals per game.
Although the team cannot disclose information about individual players due to concerns about confidentiality, Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb told ESPN's Mechelle Voepel that players have access to team psychologists.
"These professionals have worked with our players in a team setting, and also have been made available to our athletes on a one-on-one basis," Bibb said.
However, Diggins-Smith's grievances seemingly extend beyond access to mental health professionals. In a Saturday evening tweet that has since been deleted, the 29-year-old suggested that the league was not actively supportive of the mothers in its ranks.
"The blasts that disrespect of mothers (and our rights) in the WNBA is incredible," she wrote. "I can't wait until you hear my story FROM ME!"
During Diggins-Smith's 2019 hiatus from the team, the league's collective bargaining agreement required the Wings to pay their star half of her salary. However, Bibb told ESPN and other media outlets that the Dallas organization paid her full salary. Diggins-Smith will become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. Given the tumultuous nature of her time with the franchise and this now-public conflict, it seems likely that she will take her talents elsewhere.
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