The Seattle Storm built a super team over the winter with a pair of big Free Agent signings in Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Or at least they did on paper. We saw no such evidence on the field through the first week of the season, as the Storm fell to 1-3 in a loss to the New York Liberty on Monday.
Ogwumike has already been sidelined by an ankle injury — though it doesn’t appear to be a long-term problem — and Diggins-Smith has scored more field goals than turnovers in just one of four games. After another poor performance against the Liberty, in which Diggins-Smith committed four turnovers and scored eight points on a 3-of-13 shooting night, Storm head coach Noelle Quinn went to work for her star.
“There has to be respect for the fact that she has two kids and hasn’t played in 20 months. She’s not where she’s going to be in Game 4 of the season,” Quinn said. said. “She’s not going to come overnight and be who she was 20 months ago and we have to respect and honor that. I also do that. As a coach, as an organization, we do that.
“So my grace as a coach is to know that she works her butt off every day. You guys don’t see it. Every day. Two kids. Not one, two. Not many people can do that. So the respect has to come. and the work has to come. .This is a decorated athlete who has done great things for this league, for women’s basketball, for the world.
Diggins-Smith gave birth to her second child early last year and sat out the entire 2023 season for the Phoenix Mercury while on maternity leave. When she made her debut for the Storm on opening night, it was her first real game action since August 4, 2022.
Given the circumstances, there was always the expectation that Diggins-Smith would take some time to get back to her All-WNBA best. However, everyone assumed she would still be a productive player along the way.
Instead, she is averaging 14.5 points on 33.3% from the field, 5.8 assists and five turnovers per game. She has more shots than points and is 1 of 13 from 3-point land. Of the 15 players with a usage rate of at least 25%, the only one who has been less efficient than Diggins-Smith (39.7% on true shooting) is her defensive partner Jewell Loyd, who should not escape criticism herself.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect so far is how difficult her appearance has been. It would be one thing if she just missed open shots, but a large percentage of her attempts were tough, contested jumpers or runners. Only 22.7% of her field goals came at the rim, down from 31.3% in 2022. On one possession against the Washington Mystics, she went up for a three-pointer off a handoff and missed it about a foot to the left. .
Diggins-Smith and the Storm are too talented to play this way all season, but they will need to turn it around sooner rather than later or risk losing sight of the teams at the top of the standings.