Mercury give up 3 first-rounders for Diggins-Smith
The Phoenix Mercury turned assets acquired Tuesday in exchange for forward DeWanna Bonner into a trade for twotime All-WNBA guard Skylar Diggins-Smith on Wednesday.
The Mercury are giving up the No. 5 and 7 picks in the first round of the 2020 draft and a 2021 first-round pick to the Dallas Wings for Diggins-Smith.
“Players with Skylar’s skill set and ceiling don’t become available in free agency often,” Mercury GM Jim Pitman said.
“She was our top target this offseason. We think teaming her with Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner will give us the league’s most dynamic offensive trio.”
In a sign-and-trade with Connecticut, the Mercury received three first-round draft picks — No. 7 and 10 this year and another in 2021. The No. 5 pick already belonged to Phoenix.
The Wings retained exclusive negotiating rights with Diggins-Smith by giving her core player designation in January. But she maintained that she no longer wanted to play for Dallas after missing last season following the birth to her son Rowan before the season.
She since has spoken publicly about experiencing postpartum depression and playing while in her first trimester of pregnancy in 2018. The Mercury are among the WNBA’s progressive teams in regards to child care during practices and games and other family issues that were important negotiating issues in the recent collective bargaining agreement talks.
In 2019, the Mercury had four players with children — Taurasi, Bonner, Leilani Mitchell and Sancho Lyttle.
Diggins-Smith, 29, is joining a roster that includes WNBA career scoring leader Taurasi and All-WNBA center Griner, expected to re-sign soon with Phoenix. All three could be on the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
“I’m so excited to have Skylar joining our franchise in pursuit of another championship,” Taurasi said. “She has had an amazing career at all levels— college, the WNBA, and Team USA— and I know she’ll continue to grow here in the Valley as one of the best players in the world.”
Griner and Diggins-Smith teamed together last week on the U.S. team that won an Olympic qualifying tournament in Serbia.
Women’sBasketball247 reported Wednesday that the Mercury also are signing unrestricted free agent guard Bria Hartley, formerly with the New York Liberty. The Mercury also have not confirmed that deal.
The 5-8 Hartley, 27, is a six-year WNBA veteran who played from 201416 with Washington and since 2017 with the Liberty. She had one of her best seasons in 2019, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Hartley played in college at Connecticut.
There is a report from High Post Hoops that the Mercury have had talks with the Liberty about trading for 6-4 center Tina Charles, a two-time Olympian and eighth-time All-WNBA first or second team (2012 league MVP). Charles also is a core protected player who like Griner and Diggins-Smith will earn a super max salary of $215,000 in 2020.
Including Griner and DigginsSmith, the Mercury have allocated $840,000 of their $1.3-million salary cap to seven players out of a maximum 12 on the roster.
Ahead of the trade news, DigginsSmith joked on social media Tuesday about some other big news, that she is not a contestant on “The Masked Singer.”
After an All-America career at Notre Dame (2010-13, two NCAA runner-up finishes), the 5-9 Diggins-Smith was the No. 3 overall pick by Tulsa (now Dallas) in the 2013 WNBA draft.
She made the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2013 then All-WNBA first team in 2014 and 2017. Her six-year WNBA career averages are 15.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists. She was fourth in WNBA assists in 2017 and third in 2018.
The Mercury now have two former Notre Dame players with DigginsSmith joining second-year forward Brianna Turner. Diggins-Smith is No. 2 in Notre Dame career scoring and No. 3 in assists; Turner is No.1 in Irish career rebounds and No. 6 in scoring.