Skylar Diggins-Smith, Seattle Storm guard, could not hold back her praise and admiration for her college basketball coach, Niele Ivey, as the legend was featured on the cover of the latest edition of Essence magazine. Ivey is the current head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and was instrumental in molding Diggins-Smith’s basketball career during her time as a Notre Dame student.
Niele Ivey started her head-coaching gig with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back in 2020 and immediately created a milestone as the first black coach for the women’s basketball team. Since her time with Notre Dame, Ivey won the ACC regular season twice and was also named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2023.
Ivey looked quite fabulous in the pics for her magazine cover shoot, giving off schoolgirl vibes with a maroon-striped tie, a black jacket, and leather knee-high boots. Ivey sat on an antique-looking desk, brandishing a beautiful smile.
“GOAT!” Skylar Diggins-Smith wrote on her Instagram post, sharing Ivey’s picture from her magazine cover-shoot.
Skylar Diggins-Smith played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2009 to 2013, before being eventually selected as the third overall pick in the very first round of the WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock, who were later renamed as the Dallas Wings. Currently, Diggins-Smith is part of the Seattle Storm in the WNBA.
Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Notre Dame To Take On TCU For Sweet 16
Meanwhile, Skylar Diggins-Smith’s alma mater, Notre Dame, will meet the TCU Horned Frogs for the Sweet 16 matchup this weekend. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played against the Michigan Wolverines in the second round of the NCAA tournament and won the game, 76-55, after Hannah Hidalgo led the team on offense with 21 points, along with a single rebound and three helpers.
In the matchup against Michigan, Notre Dame’s Liatu King and Sonia Citron also impressed with 18 points and 16 points respectively. King also led the team in terms of rebounds with a whopping 15 boards, while Olivia Miles was the team’s leader in assists, with five helpers to her name.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished their regular season at the top of the Atlantic Coast table with a 16-2 conference score and 28-5 overall, with the North Carolina State Wolfpack placed one spot lower with a 28-6 overall score. Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 opponent, the TCU Horned Frogs, finished their regular season at the top of the Big 12 with a 33-3 overall score.
Source: Skylar Diggins-Smith’s Instagram
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