Over the weekend we had an extended discussion about Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Skylar Diggins' value as a WNBA draft prospect.
Some have argued that Diggins' will to win, which allows her to shine against ranked competition like the Connecticut Huskies, demonstrates her value on the next level. Others have argued that when you cut through all the hype, you have a player that will ultimately struggle to be an efficient point guard on the next level.
Both sides might have found support for their beliefs in Notre Dame's 96-87 triple overtime win over UConn in Diggins' final game at the Joyce Center.
Diggins finished with a double-double, recording 29 points on 11-for-31 shooting, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists to go with 8 turnovers. Yet, as cliche as it sounds, there was one player on the floor tonight who just seemed to want a win more than anyone else when it mattered most and that was Diggins, who played 55 minutes and somehow continued to shake off a poor shooting night to just flat out make the plays her team needed to win.
You've probably figured out by now that I'm not a fan of the argument that simply possessing a will to win makes one a WNBA prospect: countless players with enormous heart that has taken them to the pinnacle of (men's and) women's basketball have struggled to find a niche in the professional ranks. However, when you witness a performance like this one, it's extremely tempting to simply toss out the numbers and focus on those intangibles that have helped Diggins take her team to the title game for the past two years.
For more analysis of the 2013 WNBA draft, check out our draft prospects storystream.