Skylar Diggins-Smith gets last laugh over Jewell Loyd in Unrivaled

Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier have had many battles throughout their basketball careers, most recently in the WNBA Finals. When Unrivaled first released its schedule, fans quickly got excited about seeing a rematch between Collier and Stewart listed as the new league’s very first game. 

And yet, when the game was actually happening, another rivalry took over the big stage: Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith. They were teammates on the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA season, but apparently, things did not go all that smoothly between the two guards. There has been a lot of drama in Seattle recently, and Loyd has likely already played her last game with the Storm after issuing a trade request in early December. 

In her first game with the Mist Basketball Club, Loyd put on a show for any WNBA team considering trading for her. She finished the game with 30 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Loyd looked absolutely unstoppable at some points in the game and was not afraid to take it to her most likely former Storm teammate Diggins-Smith. 

The two matched up quite a lot throughout the game, and Loyd was obviously looking to make a statement, faking Diggins-Smith out for a three and getting a massive block on her. 

It seemed that Diggins-Smith and the Lunar Owls were unable to stop Loyd, but things quickly turned around towards the end. 

Skylar Diggins-Smith decided the game with a clutch three

Skylar Diggins-Smith had plenty of great moments. She finished the game with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, establishing herself as the Lunar Owls’ second-best scorer behind Napheesa Collier. Her biggest shot came at the end of the game, however. 

After the third quarter, the target score to end the game was set at 84. The Lunar Owls had to fight back from a 73-67 deficit but eventually took the lead on a 3-pointer from Diggins-Smith that put the Lunar Owls up 78-81. After that bucket, both teams were well within reach of the victory, but the Lunar Owls had the edge. Loyd closed the gap with a basket of her own, almost evening out the score at 80-81. 

Nevertheless, Loyd could not cap off her great game with the first win in Unrivaled history. On the Lunar Owls’ next possession, Diggins-Smith confidently pulled up for a three and took the win, even as DiJonai Carrington flew at her. 

This game promised to be incredibly entertaining, and the players did not fail to deliver. It was everything fans wanted to see from Unrivaled: a fast pace, high scores, tough defense, and rivalries being played out on the court. The Mist and Lunar Owls produced all of that, especially Jewell Loyd. But, in the end, Skylar Diggins-Smith had the last laugh with her game-winner.