How Skylar Diggins-Smith helped Notre Dame women’s basketball through tough loss
There wasn’t much Skylar Diggins-Smith — or anyone, for that matter — could say after Notre Dame lost to Louisville this past Sunday, but the former Fighting Irish All-American and one of the most accomplished players in program history still found the words.
Diggins-Smith, a South Bend native, sat courtside and watched her alma mater fall behind by 42 points in the first half. She couldn’t have been used to that feeling. It had to be completely foreign. Notre Dame won 130 games and went to two straight national championship games and a third Final Four during Diggins-Smith’s collegiate career (2009-13).
When the final buzzer sounded and the Irish made their way to the locker room after a 22-point defeat, Diggins-Smith followed them in. The 31-year-old five-time WNBA All-Star isn’t a coach by any means. She still plays for the Phoenix Mercury. But she put on her coaching cap if only for a few minutes.
In that moment, she knew her words would mean the world.
“I was happy they had a chance to listen to her wisdom, her guidance, her support, her love, her passion,” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said. “I thought that was really special, really powerful.”
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“She means a lot to this program,” graduate student forward Maya Dodson added. “She’s a legend here, and she’s still a legend now. Unfortunately we weren’t able to give her the game we wanted to, but being able to hear what she thinks about the game and talking to us about how we still have time to play and get better [was beneficial].”
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The encouragement was nothing new for Ivey, who was an Irish assistant coach to Muffet McGraw for all four of Diggins-Smith’s years at Notre Dame. The two still text regularly, often after games to break down what went well or why things might have gone awry. Diggins-Smith hasn’t forgotten about home. She regularly checks in on the place that provided the platform to get to where she is today.
“She really supports this program and supports this group,” Ivey said.
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For Dodson and her teammates, Diggins-Smith’s first time being around the program since 2016 or 2017, according to Ivey, resonated in a different way. They were able to glean perspective from someone who donned a Notre Dame jersey much more recently than Ivey (1997-2001). Ivey and Diggins-Smith have firm standings in Irish lore. This current crop of players is trying to etch their name somewhere in there.
Diggins-Smith made sure they didn’t try to forget about what happened from the opening tip against Louisville. She wanted them to instead process it, learn from it and make sure it didn’t happen again. Notre Dame could face the very same Cardinals team as soon as Saturday in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, after all.
Diggins-Smith won’t be there, but her advice should surely make the trip.
“She talked to us about how it’s a mindset,” Dodson said. “We didn’t come out with that mindset that we’re going to play tough, and that’s what exposed us in the first quarter. We’re very talented, but we’re getting to the part of the season where talent isn’t enough. We have to make sure we have that toughness from first to fourth quarter. It didn’t show up [Sunday], but I hope this week we’re going to go and work. And Friday, we’re going to put it together because we have to.”
