Tulsa gets shocked; Skylar Diggins out for the year with torn ACL

TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins will miss the remainder of the season after tearing her right anterior cruciate ligament.

The former Notre Dame All-American and South Bend Washington High standout suffered the injury Sunday with 44 seconds left in Tulsa's four-point win over Seattle. Diggins fell to the floor while chasing a rebound and stayed there for several minutes as trainers tended to her knee, then she walked to the bench on her own power with no visible limp.

Fellow ND product Jewell Loyd scored 21 points for Seattle in that game.

Diggins did not return to the game and finished it with a season-high 31 points. Originally, the injury was reported as a strain and that Diggins would miss four games. Instead she will undergo reconstructive surgery, but a date for the procedure has not been set.

"I'm focused on getting healthy and stepping on the court even stronger," said Diggins in a release from the team. "For the remainder of this season, I will continue to support my teammates in every way possible."

Diggins is in her third season in the WNBA and at the time of her injury led the Shock to wins in eight of their first nine games, averaging 17.8 points. She was ranked in the top five in the WNBA in both scoring and assists.

She was the WNBA's most improved player last season and was on the All-WNBA first team.

"It's a family," Shock coach Fred Williams told the Tulsa World. "We have a team, a family atmosphere here with the Shock, and, well, Skylar's one of our family members that's going to have some major medical work. And players have got to just step in and fill the void there that we'll be losing."

Riquna Williams has taken Diggins' place in the starting lineup, and scored 23 points in Tuesday's loss to Seattle.