Former South Bend Washington High and Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins-Smith is headed to the WNBA All-Star game.
The Dallas Wings guard has been selected as an All-Star reserve, the WNBA announced. She will represent the Western Conference in the game in Seattle on Saturday.
Diggins-Smith was the No. 3 pick in the 2013 draft and was previously an All-Star in 2014 and 2015. Diggins-Smith, who led Washington to a state championship, missed the 2015 All-Star game after suffering a torn ACL that season.
Diggins-Smith leads the WNBA in minutes per game (33.6), is fifth in assists (5.6) and seventh in scoring (18.2).
She leads the Wings in all three of these categories and is second on the team with 1.3 steals per game.
But there will be a lot of fresh faces, too, in Seattle, including reigning rookie of the year Breanna Stewart.
The Storm’s leading scorer was one of six reserves announced on Tuesday night who will be playing in their first All-Star contest.
She’s joined on the West team by Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray, Diggins-Smith, Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus and Phoenix’s Brittney Griner.
Griner, the league’s leading scorer, won’t play though after injuring her ankle and knee last week. WNBA President Lisa Borders will announce a replacement for Griner.
Stewart and Gray will be playing in the game for the first time.
The East has four reserves competing in their first All-Star contest. Atlanta teammates Layshia Clarendon and Elizabeth Williams will be making their first appearances. So will Chicago’s Allie Quigley and Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas. They are joined by Chicago’s Stefanie Dolson and Indiana’s Candice Dupree to round out the East reserves.
With starters Tiffany Hayes, Jonquel Jones and Jasmine Thomas all playing in their first All-Star Games, the East has seven first-timers.
