Don't be surprised to see Skylar Diggins on the Notre Dame women's basketball bench during the 2026-27 season.
Diggins has been hired as an outside consultant serving as the Special Advisor to Irish head coach Niele Ivey, a role in which she will serve until the Unrivaled season begins in early January.
Diggins will be on the No. 13 Irish's bench each game, home or away, until then. The Irish Ring of Honoree is not a coach or even technically on staff for Notre Dame women's basketball, specifically serving as an advisor to Ivey and the rest of the coaching staff.
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Diggins' role is the same during games and practices: she cannot provide on-court instruction to any player. Instead, her instruction and advice will exclusively go toward Ivey and her four assistant coaches — associate head coach Carol Owens, assistant Charel Allen, assistant Carlos Knox and assistant Jared Newson.
Off the court, Diggins can (and will) serve as a mentor to the Irish's players.
"This is truly a legendary addition. In this new role, Skylar will help elevate our program through her leadership, expertise and unique perspective as both a former student-athlete and accomplished professional. Skylar’s loyalty and commitment to the university have been unmatched," Ivey said in a statement provided by Notre Dame. "Her ability to motivate, elevate, and inspire our student-athletes will strengthen our culture, enhance our team, and create meaningful opportunities for growth and development. Her impact will extend far beyond the game, helping shape the next generation of student-athletes and continuing to build a legacy of excellence within our program."
Diggins recently finished the first season of a two-year contract with the Chicago Sky, which marked her 12th WNBA season. She is a seven-time WNBA All-Star and five-time USA Basketball gold medalist.
At Notre Dame, Diggins was named the Big East Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013, also capturing the Nancy Liberman Award in both seasons, as well as the inaugural Dawn Staley Award in '13. Diggins finished her Notre Dame career with 2,357 points, 745 assists, 557 rebounds and 381 steals in 150 games played, ranking third in program history in points, assists and games played, and second in steals.
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She helped lead the Irish to three straight NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances from 2011-13, making back-to-back national championship appearances in her sophomore and junior campaigns. Diggins also helped Notre Dame capture Big East championships in 2012 and '13.
Diggins is a South Bend native, leading Washington High School to four straight IHSAA girls basketball state finals appearances. The Panthers won the Class 4A state title in 2007, Diggins' sophomore season. Diggins was named Indiana Miss Basketball and the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.
Ivey was personally entrusted by former head coach Muffet McGraw to recruit Diggins to Notre Dame during her high school career, which McGraw said was Ivey's first job when she became an assistant on staff in 2007.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Skylar Diggins named Special Advisor for Notre Dame women's basketball