Skylar Diggins-Smith is still officially listed on the Phoenix Mercury's roster, but according to the WNBA guard, it doesn't feel much like she's on the team since she temporarily left to have a baby. That's what a series of tweets revealed Thursday morning, as the 33-year-old let loose on the Mercury for how she alleges she's been treated since going on maternity leave, reports the Arizona Republic. "They're not gonna acknowledge me this year and it's ok guys," Diggins-Smith posted on Twitter, now known as X, after a fan pointed out that the team hadn't wished her a happy birthday.
Diggins-Smith went on to say that, after giving birth to her second child, she wasn't given access to the same "massage therapists, chiropractor, chefs, strength and conditioning, [and] nutritionist accessibility" that her teammates are, and she slammed the team for apparently putting her on the trading block. "It was all good when I was leaving for personal time!!" she wrote. "But when I'm leaving bc I was having complications and scared of risking my child ... while leading the league in minutes (pregnant). Trade her?" She then added: "And don't think I didn't see all the 'think pieces' that had so much to say!"
Diggins-Smith hasn't been seen on the court for the Mercury since last August. At the time of her departure, she was leading the team in scores and assists, per ESPN. The outlet notes that Diggins-Smith's relationship with the Mercury has been on shaky ground since last season, when she and teammate Diana Taurasi had to be separated on the bench after exchanging words, and after Diggins-Smith insinuated online her coach was a clown.
story continues below
Although the WNBA itself has declined to comment on Diggins-Smith's remarks, Phoenix interim head coach Nikki Blue briefly addressed them on Thursday before a game against the Atlanta Dream. "Skylar is on maternity leave right now, and as we do with players on maternity leave, we give them their space," Blue said, before pivoting to the game at hand. As for how Diggins-Smith feels about the whole thing, she insists she's "fine with being distanced" as "now I can't possibly be the villain anymore." The player's contract is up after this season. (More Phoenix Mercury stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
