The Seattle Storm’s search for Sue Bird’s successor has finally come to an end. After one year in the lottery following Bird’s retirement, the Storm are making their jump back into contention with Thursday’s signing of Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Diggins-Smith’s pedigree speaks for itself. A six-time All-Star, four-time first-team all-WNBA selection and 2021 Olympian, Diggins-Smith was at the top of her game before spending the 2023 season on parental leave. The 33-year-old was the best guard on the free-agent market and will immediately step into the starting role in Seattle, the third team in her WNBA career. Unlike the last time she switched franchises, Diggins-Smith is signing with the Storm as an unrestricted free agent, saving Seattle from having to sacrifice any assets in a sign-and-trade (and also preventing the Phoenix Mercury, her former team, from profiting off her departure). Because of that, she is limited to a regular max contract instead of a supermax, so her salary will dip about $25,000 from 2023. However, that decision enables the Storm to have one more maximum salary slot available should another player of that ilk choose to come to Seattle.
A huge WNBA free agency domino has fallen 🌩️
Six-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist Skylar Diggins-Smith…
