Six-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith is calling out her team for allegedly prohibiting her from using the practice facilities while she’s on maternity leave. Diggins-Smith, who recently welcomed her second child, expressed her outrage at the Phoenix Mercury when she responded to a fan who bashed the team for failing to say happy birthday to its star player.
“They’re not gonna acknowledge me this year and it’s ok guys,” Diggins-Smith tweeted. “We’re not affiliated unless it’s the checks….per management. I can’t even use the practice facility or any resources. But I still love the X-Factor!!”
The 33-year-old hooper, who is out for the season after giving birth, also said she has been banned from using the Mercury’s “massage therapists, chiropractor, chefs, strength and conditioning, nutritionist accessibility, etc…” According to Smith, all other players have access to those resources.
Mercury’s interim head coach, Nikki Blue, gave a brief answer when she was asked about the issue after the team’s win against the Atlanta dream on Thursday.
“Skylar is on maternity leave right now and as we do with players on maternity leave, we give them their space,” she said, People reported.
Diggins-Smith, who left the team in the middle of the season last year for personal reasons, said she has received mixed messages from the team.
“It was all good when I was leaving for personal time!!” she tweeted on Thursday as she continued vent. “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?”
It was all good when I was leaving for personal time!!
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?— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) August 3, 2023
The former Notre Dame player was drafted to the league in 2013. Throughout her career, she has continued to speak out on the issues female athletes face as mothers. Speaking with NBA star Chris Paul on his show, How I Got Here, Diggins-Smith talked about the challenges she faced after giving birth to her first child in 2019.
“Nine weeks after I had him I was in practice. Physically, I felt fine but I was in this fog that I just didn’t understand what was going on,” she said on the show. “It was hard for me to explain my emotions. When you go through postpartum depression you kind of get this feeling like you’re the only one going through this and you don’t really wanna ask for help.”
