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Another major roster move could be coming for the Mercury during their tumultuous 2022 season. According to Howard Megdel of The IX newsletter, All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith is on the trade block.
During a May loss to the Aces, Diggins-Smith and fellow star Diana Taurasi had to be separated during a heated verbal altercation. Earlier this month, Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard made the misstep of downgrading the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game after Taurasi was snubbed from the event. Diggins-Smith is an All-Star this year, and made it pretty clear that she took it as a snub from her coach, responding to a clip of Nygaard’s statement with a clown emoji, and reportedly liking additional tweets that indicated it was a shot at the coach. Nygaard apologized and clarified her comments last week.
Now, Diggins-Smith could be looking for a new home. The 9–14 Mercury are “shopping” the six-time All-Star to multiple teams, Megdel reports, despite the fact the situation in Phoenix leaves “many others around the league wary of adding her.”
Despite the team’s struggles, Diggins-Smith has had a phenomenal individual season and is averaging 19.1 points, five assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. If she’s moved, she would be the second former All-WNBA talent to leave the team in recent weeks.
Center Tina Charles signed with the Storm after agreeing to part ways with the Mercury on June 25.
She filled in for Mercury stalwart Brittney Griner, who remains in Russian custody after what the U.S. calls a wrongful detainment. In February, she was arrested at a Russian airport after officials allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage.
Diggins-Smith is in her third season with Phoenix after six years with the Shock and Wings franchises.
