Tulsa Shock
2012 Tulsa Shock season
Tulsa Shock logo
Conference	Western
Founded	1998 (as Detroit)
History	Detroit Shock (1998–2009) Tulsa Shock (2010–present)
Arena	BOK Center
City	Tulsa, Oklahoma
Team colors	Gold, black, white, red
Owner(s)	Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC
General manager	Steve Swetoha & Gary Kloppenburg
Head coach	Gary Kloppenburg
Assistant coaches	Jason Glover Kathy McConnell-Miller
Championships	3 (2003, 2006, 2008)
Conference titles	4 (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Mascot	Volt
Official website	wnba.com/shock

The Tulsa Shock is a professional basketball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Detroit, Michigan before the 1998 WNBA season began; the team moved to Tulsa before the 2010 season. The team is owned by Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC, which is led by Bill Cameron and David Box.

The Shock have not qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in their years in Tulsa. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as athletic shooting guard Deanna Nolan, women's professional basketball all-time leading scorer Katie Smith, former NBA great Karl Malone's daughter Cheryl Ford, and young Australian center Liz Cambage. In 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008 (as Detroit), the Shock went to the WNBA Finals; they won in 2003, 2006 and 2008, beating Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Antonio, respectively. They lost in 2007 to Phoenix.

The Shock are one of three WNBA teams that do not share a city with an NBA counterpart. However, they do share the city with an NBA Development League team (the Tulsa 66ers).

Franchise history[link]

The Detroit Shock (1998–2009)[link]

The early years (1998–2002)[link]

The Shock were one of the first WNBA expansion teams and began play in 1998. The Shock quickly brought in a blend of rookies and veterans. The team only qualified for the postseason once in its first five years of existence. The Shock went through two coaches (hall of famer Nancy Lieberman and Greg Williams) before hiring former former Detroit Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer. There were rumors the Shock would fold after the team's awful 2002 season. Laimbeer convinced the owners to keep the team for another year, certain that he could turn things around.

The Bill Laimbeer era (2003–2008)[link]

Bill Laimbeer

After massive changes to the roster, Laimbeer predicted before the 2003 season that the Shock would be league champions, and his prediction would unbelievably come true. The Shock finished with a 25-9 record and winning the number one seed by seven games. In the playoffs, the Shock defeated the Cleveland Rockers and the Connecticut Sun to reach the WNBA Finals. Despite the achievements, the Shock were viewed as huge underdogs to the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks. The Shock emerged victorious in the series, winning a thrilling game three (in 2003, the Finals were a best-of-three series) which drew the largest crowd in WNBA history (22,076). Detroit became the first team in league history to go from last place one season to WNBA champions the very next season.

After coming up short in 2004 and 2005, the 2006 Shock finished 23-11 record and finished number two in the Eastern Conference. The Shock defeated the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun to advance to the Finals again, where they faced the defending champion Sacramento Monarchs. The Shock won the series 3-2, and claimed their second WNBA title.

In 2007, the Shock again advanced to the Finals but were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury in five games. The 2008 Shock posted a 22-12 regular season record, the best record in the East yet again. In the Finals, the Shock faced the San Antonio Silver Stars, who had not lost to an Eastern Conference team all season. Surprisingly, Detroit swept San Antonio, capturing their third championship in franchise history.

The final Detroit Shock season (2009)[link]

The Shock were named favorites for 2009, but they had a rough road getting there. Bill Laimbeer resigned as head coach early in the season, and they even found themselves in the bottom of the standings. However, interim coach Rick Mahorn and the Shock bounced back in the second half of 2009 and eventually placed themselves in the playoffs for the seventh straight year at 18-16. The Shock lost in the second round to the Indiana Fever, failing to reach the Finals for the first time since 2005.

The Tulsa Shock (2010–present)[link]

Relocation (2010)[link]

Tulsa had been mentioned as a possible future city for WNBA expansion, but efforts did not come together until the middle of 2009. An organizing committee with Tulsa businesspeople and politicians began the effort to attract an expansion team. The group was originally given a September 1 deadline. WNBA President Donna Orender extended that deadline to sometime in October. The investment group hired former University of Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson as the potential franchise general manager and head coach. Richardson was a local favorite; before his successful 18-year stint at Arkansas, he'd spent five years as head coach at the University of Tulsa, leading them to the NIT title in his first year. This move was viewed as strange by some, considering that Tulsa hadn't even secured a franchise before hiring a coach. The investors claimed it was to show the league they were serious about wanting a team. On October 15, 2009, the group made its official request to join the league.

On October 20, 2009, WNBA President Donna Orender, lead investors Bill Cameron and David Box, Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor, Oklahoma governor Brad Henry, and head coach Nolan Richardson were present for a press conference announcing that the Detroit Shock would relocate to Tulsa. On January 23, 2010, the franchise announced that the team will remain as the Shock. The colors are now black, red, and gold.^[1]

Tough times (2010–present)[link]

The Shock team that moved to Tulsa was much different than what investors thought they were purchasing. Detroit's four best players did not make the move to Tulsa. Cheryl Ford decided to sit out due to lingering injuries. Taj McWilliams-Franklin signed a free agent contract with New York. Deanna Nolan decided to take time off from playing in the WNBA, perhaps for good. Katie Smith, who was believed to be contracted with the Shock (which only turned out to be a verbal agreement), signed with Washington. Along with all the absences, new head coach and general manager Nolan Richardson had his own ideas about what he wanted the roster to look. By the middle of the 2010 season, there were no Detroit players left on the team.

Richardson' first draft pick, Amanda Thompson, was a bust; she only played seven games (no starts) and was waived only a month into the season. Another key signing, disgraced Olympic track star Marion Jones, turned out to be less than hoped for as well; she hadn't played a meaningful basketball game since her days at North Carolina 13 years earlier.

A lack of continuity plagued the team; at times it seemed Richardson made roster moves on a game-to-game basis. The players also found it difficult to adjust to Richardson's frenetic "40 minutes of hell" style.^[2] The Shock finished with an awful 6-28 record, dead last in the league. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002 in Detroit. Having such a bad record meant the Shock qualified for the draft lottery, and they were awarded the number two pick in the 2011 Draft.

The Shock selected 19-year-old Australian center Liz Cambage with hopes to build a successful team around her. The team also signed veteran and one of the original WNBA players, Sheryl Swoopes. The roster changes were not enough, however, and after the team started the season with a dreadful 1-10 record, head coach Richardson stepped down. Assistant coach Teresa Edwards took his place on an interim basis. Jones was waived a few days later. Things did not improve for the Shock, who entered the All-Star break with a 1-14 record. Later in the season, the Shock set a new mark for futility when they embarked on a 20 game losing streak, the longest losing streak in the history of the WNBA.

Uniforms[link]

• Detroit: White with the team's logo of the stylized Detroit Shock name, in black and blue, over a WNBA basketball at home. Blue with the word "Detroit" across the front for the road jersey.
• Tulsa: Gold with team logo of stylized Tulsa Shock, in black and gold at home. Black with the word "Tulsa", in gold, diagonally in the front for the road jersey.

Season-by-season records[link]

Players[link]

Current roster[link]

Tulsa Shock roster v t e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs 6.0 !C 11 USA ! Black, Chante 77 !6' 5" (1.96m) 188 lb (85kg) 11-12-1985 Duke 1.5 !2 6.0 !C 8 AUS ! Cambage, Liz (IN) 80 !6' 8" (2.03m) 215 lb (98kg) 02-18-1991 Australia 1 !1 2.5 !G/F 13 USA ! Christmas, Karima 72 !6' 0" (1.83m) 180 lb (82kg) 09-11-1989 Duke 1 !1 1.5 !G 5 USA ! Dorrell, Scholanda 71 !5' 11" (1.8m) 162 lb (73kg) 01-09-1983 LSU 3.5 !6 4.0 !F 25 USA ! Johnson, Glory 75 !6' 3" (1.91m) 170 lb (77kg) 07-27-1990 Tennessee 0.5 !R 1.5 !G 2 USA ! Johnson, Temeka 63 !5' 3" (1.6m) 142 lb (64kg) 09-06-1982 LSU 4 !7 6.0 !C 22 USA ! Kizer, Lynetta 76 !6' 4" (1.93m) 215 lb (98kg) 04-04-1990 Maryland 0.5 !R 4.0 !F 21 USA ! Lacy, Jennifer 75 !6' 3" (1.91m) 175 lb (79kg) 03-21-1983 Pepperdine 3.5 !6 1.5 !G 12 USA ! Latta, Ivory 66 !5' 6" (1.68m) 143 lb (65kg) 09-25-1984 North Carolina 3 !5 1.5 !G 10 USA ! Morris, Jené 69 !5' 9" (1.75m) 146 lb (66kg) 07-21-1987 San Diego State 1 !1 4.0 !F 14 USA ! Pedersen, Kayla 76 !6' 4" (1.93m) 190 lb (86kg) 04-14-1989 Stanford 1 !1 1.5 !G 1 USA ! Williams, Riquna 67 !5' 7" (1.7m) 165 lb (75kg) 05-28-1990 Miami (FL) 0.5 !R East: ATL • CHI • CON • IND • NY • WAS | West: LA • MIN • PHO • SA • SEA • TUL	Head coach Gary Kloppenburg (UC San Diego) Assistant coaches Jason Glover (Grand Canyon) Kathy McConnell-Miller (Colorado) Athletic trainer Allison Russell (Tulsa) Legend (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive Injured WNBA roster page Transactions

Other rights owned[link]

Nationality		Name		Years pro		Last played		Drafted
		Tiffany Jackson		5		2011		2007
		Deanna Nolan		9		2009		2001

Former players[link]

• Jennifer Azzi (1999)
• Carla Boyd (1998–1999, 2001)
• Kara Braxton (2005–2010), now a member of the New York Liberty
• Sandy Brondello (1998–1999), now an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Sparks
• Dominique Canty (1999–2002), now a member of the Washington Mystics
• Swin Cash (2002–2007), now a member of the Chicago Sky
• Barbara Farris (2000–2005, 2009)
  

  

  The BOK Center, home of the Shock
• Cheryl Ford (2003–2008)
• Alexis Hornbuckle (2008–2010), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
• Tasha Humphrey (2008)
• Shannon Johnson (2007)
• Marion Jones (2010–2011)
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2008–2009), now a member of the Minnesota Lynx
• Astou Ndiaye-Diatta (1999–2003)
• Deanna Nolan (2001–2009)
• Wendy Palmer (1999–2002)
• Plenette Pierson (2005–2010), now a member of the New York Liberty
• Elaine Powell (2002–2008)
• Ruth Riley (2003–2006), now a member of the Chicago Sky
• Katie Smith (2005–2009), now a member of the Seattle Storm
• Sheryl Swoopes (2011)
• Shavonte Zellous (2009–2010), now a member of the Indiana Fever

Coaches and staff[link]

Owners[link]

• William Davidson, owner of the Detroit Pistons (1998–2009)
• Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC, composed of Bill Cameron and David Box (majority owners), and Chris Christian, Pat Chernicky, Sam and Rita Combs, Pat and Don Hardin, Paula Marshall, Stuart and Linda Price, and Katie and Scott Schofield (2010–present)

Head coaches[link]

General managers[link]

• Nancy Lieberman (1998–2000)
• Greg Williams (2000–2002)
• Bill Laimbeer (2002–2009)
• Cheryl Reeve (2009)
• Nolan Richardson (2010–2011)
• Teresa Edwards (2011)
• Steve Swetoha & Gary Kloppenburg (2012–present)

Assistant coaches[link]

• Steve Smith (1998–2001)
• Greg Williams (1998–2000)
• Tom Cross (2001–2002)
• Frank Schneider (2002)
• Laurie Byrd (2003–2005)
• Pam McGee (2003)
• Korie Hlede (2004)
• Rick Mahorn (2005–2009)
• Cheryl Reeve (2006–2009)
• Tammy Bagby (2010)
• Wayne Stehlik (2010–2011)
• Teresa Edwards (2011)
• Tracy Murray (2011)
• Kathy McConnell-Miller (2011–present)
• Jason Glover (2012–present)

Hall of Famers[link]

• Nancy Lieberman, enshrined 1996
• Lynette Woodard, enshrined 2004

Statistics[link]

Media coverage[link]

Currently, some Shock games are broadcast on The Cox Channel (COX), which is a local television station for certain areas of the state of Oklahoma. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. The broadcasters for the Shock games are Mike Wolfe and Shanna Crossley.

All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Shock games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Shock, as well as other teams in the league.^[3]

All-time notes[link]

Regular season attendance[link]

• A sellout for a basketball game at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Detroit) is 22,076.
• A sellout for a basketball game at BOK Center (Tulsa) is 17,839.

Draft picks[link]

• 1998 Expansion Draft: Rhonda Blades (1), Tajama Abraham (3), Tara Williams (5), Lynette Woodard (7)
• 1998: Korie Hlede (4), Rachael Sporn (14), Gergana Branzova (24), Sandy Brondello (34)
• 1999: Jennifer Azzi (5), Val Whiting (17), Dominique Canty (29), Astou Ndiaye-Diatta (41)
• 2000: Edwina Brown (3), Tamicha Jackson (8), Chevonne Hammond (44), Cal Bouchard (60)
• 2001: Deanna Nolan (6), Jae Kingi (22), Svetlana Volnaya (38), Kelly Santos (54)
• 2002: Swin Cash (2), Lanae Williams (18), Ayana Walker (20), Jill Chapman (21), Kathy Wambe (22), Ericka Haney (47)
• 2003 Miami/Portland Dispersal Draft: Ruth Riley (1)
• 2003: Cheryl Ford (3), Kara Lawson (5), Syreeta Bromfield (28)
• 2004 Cleveland Dispersal Draft: Jennifer Rizzotti (13)
• 2004: Iciss Tillis (11), Shereka Wright (13), Erika Valek (23), Jennifer Smith (32)
• 2005: Kara Braxton (7), Dionnah Jackson (13), Nikita Bell (20), Jenni Lingor (33)
• 2006: Ambrosia Anderson (17), Zane Teillane (35)
• 2007 Charlotte Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2007: Ivory Latta (11)
• 2008: Alexis Hornbuckle (4), Tasha Humphrey (11), Olayinka Sanni (18), Natasha Lacy (28), Valeriya Berezhynska (42)
• 2009 Houston Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2009: Shavonte Zellous (11), Brittany Miller (18), Tanae Davis-Cain (37)
• 2010 Sacramento Dispersal Draft: Scholanda Robinson (7)
• 2010: Amanda Thompson (19), Vivian Frieson (31)
• 2011: Liz Cambage (2), Kayla Pedersen (7), Italee Lucas (21), Chastity Reed (25)
• 2012: Glory Johnson (4), Riquna Williams (17), Vicki Baugh (25), Lynetta Kizer (29)

Trades[link]

• July 29, 1999: The Shock traded Korie Hlede and Cindy Brown to the Utah Starzz in exchange for Wendy Palmer and Olympia Scott-Richardson.
• April 24, 2000: The Shock traded Jennifer Azzi and the 12th pick in the 2000 Draft to the Utah Starzz in exchange for the third and eighth picks in the 2000 Draft.
• April 20, 2001: The Shock traded Val Whiting to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
• April 24, 2001: The Shock traded Anna DeForge to the Houston Comets in exchange for Jennifer Rizzotti.
• May 13, 2001: The Shock traded Tamicha Jackson to the Portland Fire in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
• May 27, 2001: The Shock traded Jennifer Rizzotti to the Cleveland Rockers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
• May 27, 2001: The Shock traded Olympia Scott-Richardson and a third-round pick in the 2002 Draft to the Indiana Fever in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2002 Draft.
• May 3, 2002: The Shock traded Claudia das Neves to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2003 Draft.
• May 11, 2002: The Shock traded a fourth-round pick in the 2003 Draft to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Stacy Clinesmith.
• July 7, 2002: The Shock traded Wendy Palmer and a second-round pick in the 2003 Draft to the Orland Miracle in exchange for Elaine Powell and a first-round pick in the 2003 Draft.
• April 27, 2003: The Shock traded Dominique Canty to the Houston Comets in exchange for Allison Curtin.
• April 28, 2003: The Shock traded Edwina Brown and Lanae Williams to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Telisha Quarles and Petra Ujhelyi.
• April 29, 2003: The Shock traded Kara Lawson to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Kendra Holland-Corn.
• May 19, 2003: The Shock traded a third-round pick in the 2004 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tamara Moore.
• July 31, 2003: The Shock traded Tamara Moore to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Stacey Thomas.
• February 11, 2004: The Shock traded Kendra-Holland Corn and the 26th pick in the 2004 Draft to the Houston Comets in exchange for the 11th and the 32nd picks in the 2004 Draft.
• April 17, 2004: The Shock traded Shereka Wright, Sheila Lambert and Erika Valek to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Chandi Jones.
• April 14, 2005: The Shock traded Iciss Tillis to the Washington Mystics in exchange for the 13th pick in the 2005 Draft.
• June 29, 2005: The Shock traded Andrea Stinson and a second-round pick in the 2006 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Plenette Pierson.
• July 30, 2005: The Shock traded Chandi Jones, Stacey Thomas, and a first-round pick in the 2006 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Katie Smith and a second-round pick in the 2006 Draft.
• April 5, 2006: The Shock traded Ambrosia Anderson and a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Jacqueline Batteast and a third-round pick in the 2007 Draft.
• May 18, 2006: The Shock traded two third-round picks in the 2007 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Angelina Williams.
• February 22, 2007: The Shock traded Ruth Riley to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Katie Feenstra and the right to swap first-round picks in the 2008 Draft.
• February 6, 2008: The Shock traded Ivory Latta to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for LaToya Thomas and the 18th pick in the 2008 Draft.
• February 19, 2008: The Shock traded Swin Cash to the Seattle Storm in exchange for the fourth pick in the 2008 Draft.
• June 22, 2008: The Shock traded LaToya Thomas to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Eshaya Murphy.
• August 12, 2008: The Shock traded Eshaya Murphy, Tasha Humphrey, and a second-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Taj McWilliams-Franklin.
• April 9, 2009: The Shock traded Ashley Shields to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for the 18th pick in the 2009 Draft.
• April 7, 2010: The Shock traded the seventh pick in the 2010 Draft and a second-round pick in the 2011 Draft to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Chante Black and Amber Holt.
• April 14, 2010: The Shock traded Crystal Kelly to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Shanna Crossley.
• May 27, 2010: The Shock traded Shavonte Zellous to the Indiana Fever in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2011 Draft.
• June 14, 2010: The Shock traded Plenette Pierson to the New York Liberty in exchange for Tiffany Jackson.
• July 22, 2010: The Shock traded Kara Braxton to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Nicole Ohlde and a first-round pick in the 2011 Draft.
• July 26, 2010: The Shock traded Alexis Hornbuckle to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Rashanda McCants.
• February 1, 2011: The Shock traded a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Andrea Riley.
• May 2, 2011: The Shock traded Scholanda Robinson to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for second- and third-round picks in the 2012 Draft.
• January 12, 2012: The Shock traded Andrea Riley to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Temeka Johnson.

All-Stars[link]

• 1999: Sandy Brondello
• 2000: Wendy Palmer
• 2001: None
• 2002: None
• 2003: Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan
• 2004: Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan
• 2005: Swin Cash, Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan, Ruth Riley
• 2006: Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith
• 2007: Kara Braxton, Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan
• 2008: No All-Star Game
• 2009: Katie Smith
• 2010: None
• 2011: Liz Cambage

Honors and awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tulsa Shock Official Website

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Skylar Diggins
College	Notre Dame
Sport	Basketball
Position	Guard
Jersey #	4
Class	Junior
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Nationality	American
Born	(1990-08-02) August 2, 1990 (age 21) South Bend, IN
Awards
McDonald's All-American (2009) 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball award Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year (2009)[1]

Skylar Diggins (born August 2, 1990 in South Bend, Indiana) is currently a women's basketball player for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. She was a McDonald's All-American coming out of high school. As a freshman, Diggins became the fourth Indiana native to join the Irish roster in 2009-10, along with fellow South Bend-area guard (and co-captain) Melissa Lechlitner, Indianapolis guard Ashley Barlow (and co-captain) and Valparaiso forward Becca Bruszewski. In addition, she was one of three Miss Basketball honorees on the '09-10 Notre Dame roster, along with Lindsay Schrader (Illinois 2005) and Kellie Watson (Michigan 2008).

Diggins rose to national prominence in her sophomore year, finishing the regular season first on the team in assists per game (4.8 average), while placing second in scoring (14.4) and third in steals (1.9). Since the season began, she has scored in double figures 30 times, including eight 20-point outings, and has notched at least five assists in 21 games.^[2]

Diggins continued her stellar play in the NCAA tournament, leading the Irish to the second championship game appearance in school history, ten years after Notre Dame captured the national title in 2001. However, the Fighting Irish lost to the Texas A&M Aggies in the final game of the 2011 women's basketball tournament, by a score of 76-70. In the losing effort, Diggins finished with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. She made 8 of 9 free-throws in the game, including two with 40.7 seconds remaining. But the sophomore struggled from beyond the arc, sinking only 1 of 5 three-point attempts. Diggins also committed 6 turnovers, the last one ending Notre Dame's chances for good as the game clock wound down. As the Associated Press reported, "Diggins, fighting back tears, said the Irish couldn't handle A&M's pressure. 'We turned it over too much. I don't know if it was nerves or what,' she said. 'We just didn't handle the pressure.'"

In the semifinal game, the Notre Dame point guard led her team to victory over heavily-favored UConn (the number-one team in the country) with 28 points (her highest single-game total on the season), 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.^[3] Diggins also made all six of her free-throw attempts in the familiar confines of Conseco Fieldhouse, where she had previously led her high school team to three straight championships. Notre Dame was victorious in its third Final Four appearance ever, defeating the two-time defending champion Huskies by a score of 72-63.^[4]

This came after beating the University of Tennessee (fourth-ranked team in the country) in the regional final by a score of 73-59. Diggins scored a then-season-high 24 points in the game, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 NCAA Dayton Regional. What's more, with her performance against the Lady Vols, Diggins went over the 1,000-point mark for her career, becoming just the second Notre Dame women’s basketball player to reach that milestone before the end of her sophomore season.^[5] She has also showed her prowess as a floor-leader throughout the tournament, even dishing out a career-high 12 assists (most by a Notre Dame player in more than 11 years) in the Irish's 78-53 Sweet 16 victory over Oklahoma. By beating Tennessee and UConn, Diggins and The Lady Irish became the first team to ever beat both teams in the same tournament.

For her excellence on the court, Diggins has been selected by the Associated Press as a 2011 Third Team All-American,^[6] and she has also been honored as one of ten members of the 2011 State Farm Coaches All-America Team. She joined Baylor's Brittney Griner as one of only two sophomores honored, and was just the third Irish women's basketball player to earn the award, joining Ruth Riley (2001) and Jacqueline Batteast (2005).

Diggins was chosen as one of four finalists for the 2011 Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard. During the 2011 season, she was also selected as one of twenty midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, and was among thirty midseason candidates for the James A. Naismith Trophy. Connecticut's Maya Moore won both of these awards. In addition, Diggins was one of twenty-five players selected for the State Farm Wade Trophy's preseason "watch list". The Wade Trophy was also awarded to Moore.

USA Basketball[link]

• Diggins was a member of the USA Women's Under-18 National Team, starting all five games at the 2008 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was part of the United States team that went undefeated and won the gold medal. Statistically, she averaged 10.8 points on 50-percent shooting from the field, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2 steals in 23.2 minutes per game. In the tournament, she ranked among the top 10 in the entire tournament in scoring (10th), field goal percentage (7th), assists (2nd), steals (8th), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd).
• July 29, 2009: Notre Dame incoming freshman guard and United States co-captain Skylar Diggins (South Bend, Ind./Washington) scored 11 points, including three three-pointers in a 42-second span early in the first quarter, as the USA trounced Japan, 109-68, on Wednesday in its final Group F second-round contest at the FIBA U19 World Championships inside the Bangkok Thai-Japan Youth Center in Bangkok, Thailand.^[7]

High school[link]

• In the March 30, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated, she was part of its Faces in the Crowd segment.
• She was a four-year starter at Washington High School, where the Panthers had a combined record of 102-7.^[8] In her senior year, she led the Washington High School Panthers to a 26-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state tournament, where they fell to the nation's number-one-ranked team, Ben Davis of Indianapolis, 71-69. She averaged a state-best 29 points per game, along with 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 2.2 blocked shots.
• She was a two-time Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year.^[1] In four consecutive years, Diggins led the Panthers to state championship games, including Washington's title-winning season of 2007.
• A McDonald's All-American Game selection,^[9] she finished her career with 2,790 points, the third-highest girls' scoring total in Indiana history for an average of 25.9 points per game.
• Skylar Diggins chose Notre Dame over Stanford, but was able to make friends with Stanford alum Candice Wiggins after visiting the university.
• Diggins was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2009 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 24 points.^[10]

Awards and honors[link]

• 2011 Associated Press All-American (third team)
• 2009 consensus Naismith Prep Player of the Year, earning top honors from Gatorade, Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Trophy), ESPN Hoopgurlz and MaxPreps
• Three-time high school All-American by Parade magazine (first team 2008 and 2009; third team 2007)
• Three-time high school All-American by EA Sports (first team 2008 and 2009; second team 2007)
• USA Today All-USA Team (first team 2009; third team 2008)
• USA Today All-Underclass Team (2006)
• Two-time Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year (2008 and 2009)
• Two-time MaxPreps Indiana Player of the Year/first-team All-American (2008 and 2009)
• 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball ^[11]
• 2009 South Bend Tribune Girls' Athlete of the Year (covers all female high school athletes in all sports throughout newspaper's coverage area)

References[link]