Skylar Diggins-Smith revealed why she struggled with anxiety before joining the Seattle Storm

Skylar Diggins-Smith #4 of the Seattle Storm reacts after her basket during the second quarter against the Minnesota Lynx at Climate Pledge Arena on July 12, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Skylar Diggins-Smith sent shockwaves through hoops circles when she joined the Seattle Storm during the offseason. However, the veteran guard recently revealed that despite knowing Seattle was at the top of her list, she had anxiety about joining the team.

In a move heard around the league, Diggins-Smith linked up with the Seattle Storm in February after a somewhat tumultuous tenure with the Phoenix Mercury. During her introductory press conference, she shared why she moved on from the Mercury to sign with the Storm.

She ultimately wanted to play with Jewell Loyd and Nneka Ogwumike and, among other things, experience Seattle’s culture. But Skylar says that even with all of that excitement, she had social anxiety. Here’s what she recently told ESPN’s LaChina Robinson during WNBA Off Day about her move to Seattle and understanding her mental health journey (See the clip below and the 10:44 mark of the YouTube video):

“I was like, ‘Man, am I going to be able to fit in socially with this team? Am I going to sound like somebody’s mom — you know, because I’m a stay-at-home mom?…'”
“To come back after 21 months of being a stay-at-home mom — ‘Can I adapt to this environment again? Are they gonna think I’m weird?'”
“I think just being real with myself about how I feel and how things make me feel…I think I’ve always struggled with anxiety. I just think I didn’t know what that was until I talked to somebody about how I was feeling, and like, ‘Oh, that’s anxiety!’ I thought that was just Sky…and it’s like you’re not the only person feeling this way. But sometimes you hesitate to share it.”