Skylar Diggins has launched a new podcast called “And Mom,” which explores the intersection of motherhood and ambition. The seven-time All-Star and mother of two recently shared insights about her children, the evolving landscape for women in the WNBA under the new collective bargaining agreement, and whether her kids influenced her decision to join the Chicago Sky.
“Uh. Yeah. They’re the number one factor in everything I do. Absolutely. Being a single mother, just making sure I put myself in a position to provide for my children, taking care of my body so those things can happen, and obviously, building my village – who that is, starting with my mother and our nanny. Shout out to our nanny. It takes a village. As I become more experienced as a mother, I learn things. It’s great having them. They come to every road trip.
“They’re my two broke little best friends. We’re attached at the hip 24-7. I love them being able to be a part of it – being around women like this and seeing this in real time and including them in my process.”
At the Sky’s Media Day, Diggins reflected on how much motherhood support has progressed since her first pregnancy. “When I was pregnant the first time, the CBA for the WNBA didn’t look any different from the NBA as far as child-bearing people. A lot of people before that – even experiences with friends and people that I’ve known in the league who’ve had children – if you got pregnant during that time, they really didn’t say anything. You got half your money. There were no parameters on maternity leave or even options for family planning like we have now.
“It’s amazing to see the evolution, still being one of only three players to come back from multiple pregnancies in this league.
“It’s amazing to go through this journey. Motherhood is tough. After my daughter, I had to reconsider if I wanted to still play or not.
“When you play in leagues like Unrivaled, you have a family room – one started by mothers, Stewie and Napheesa. You have all the resources and it makes the WNBA follow suit. I didn’t have a family room to put my son in. I didn’t have a place to pump my milk. I pumped right in the locker room. Ask Azura Stevens. We were in Dallas. Pumped right in the locker room and put my milk right in the Gatorades. I didn’t have anywhere else to put it. Things have changed a lot.
“Obviously, I’m most excited about the opportunity for my daughter, who’s a threenager right now. Just the hopes of her one day being able to play in this league and to sustain it for her. That was always the goal of mine from Day 1. It’s great for it to come full circle and see what it is right now.
“It’s great for my kids to see me play. I don’t have to be like, ‘Back in my day, baby…’ They can see mama in real time, right now. God willing, hopefully, I’ll be able to play a few more strong years where they can see that and be around these amazing women and amazing people to look up to. It’s been tough, but the most gratifying thing ever to have them a part of my WNBA journey.”
