Storm Await Diggins’ Return as Road Trip Begins

The Seattle Storm are bracing for the possible return of Skylar Diggins as they begin a three-game road trip Thursday night against the Chicago Sky. The extent of the personal matters sidelining the veteran guard remains unclear, but her absence has left a noticeable void.

“We have to understand who Sky is and what she is for us, not only for this team, this organization, but in the [WNBA],” said Storm head coach Noelle Quinn. “There isn’t anybody like her. When she is missing, a whole lot is missing.”

Seattle (14–10) struggled without Diggins in Tuesday’s 87–63 loss to Dallas, shooting just 30.7 percent from the field and converting only 4 of 21 from beyond the arc. Nneka Ogwumike led the effort with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor also contributed with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, Chicago (7–16) returns to Wintrust Arena riding a three-game losing streak—its fourth such stretch of the season. The Sky were overwhelmed by Minnesota on Tuesday, falling 91–68 while committing 23 turnovers.

Despite the loss, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso continued their double-double dominance, each posting 11 rebounds and double-digit points. Reese’s 10th consecutive double-double made WNBA history, marking her as the first player with multiple streaks of at least 10 double-doubles in a season.

Chicago guard Kia Nurse, who led her team with 16 points, emphasized the need for cleaner offensive execution, particularly better entry passes into the post.

“It’s a combination of everything,” said Nurse. “From the guards’ perspective, we’ve got to get better angles to get the ball to the available hand. … Movement around it—we’ve got to do a better job of setting screens for these guys to come off and get a little bit more space, and then just throw it in there when we can.”

Ariel Atkins, the Sky’s second-leading playmaker with 3.5 assists per game, missed the game due to a leg injury. Her status remains uncertain.

Thursday’s contest is the first of three meetings between Seattle and Chicago this season. The Sky will host the Storm again on August 19 before traveling to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena for a final matchup on August 30.

The Sky edged the Storm in three of four meetings in 2023. However, Seattle responded in 2024 with two wins out of three, each by an average margin of 11 points.