Inside WNBA Star Skylar Diggins-Smith & Husband Daniel Smith's Love Story
One thing about us, we love a good sports love story. If you're a WNBA fan, you're probably familiar with Skylar Diggins-Smith. The 33-year-old is a wildly-successful point guard for the Phoenix Mercury, and she's been playing in the league for a decade. The talented athlete began her career as a college basketball player for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2009-2013. While there, she helped lead her team to three Final Fours and two NCAA championship appearances. Though her decorated career—which includes a gold medal run at the 2020 Olympics—is nothing short of dazzling, fans can't help but wonder about her life off the court too. So, who is Skylar Diggins-Smith's husband, Daniel Smith?
Skylar Diggins and Daniel Smith tend to keep their private romance out of the spotlight. You won't see them posting about each other on social media, and details about their 2016 engagement are hard to come by. But we do know that they got married the following year—and ahead of the big day, Skylar was featured in the Summer 2017 issue of The Knot Magazine, where she gave us the inside scoop on her prewedding beauty routine. Since then, the couple has gone on to welcome two children together. Here, we break down everything we know about Skylar Diggins-Smith and husband Daniel's love story, including the sweetest details from their artistic wedding.
- Skylar Diggins-Smith's husband is Daniel Smith, an artist and former college football player.
- Although it's unclear how Skylar Diggins-Smith met her husband, they both attended The University of Notre Dame.
- Skylar Diggins-Smith and Daniel Smith got engaged in June 2016, and their wedding took place in May 2017.
- Skylar Diggins-Smith and her husband have two kids together: a son, Seven, and a daughter, whose name has not been publicly announced.
Who is Skylar Diggins-Smith's Husband, Daniel Smith?
Skylar Diggins-Smith's husband is Daniel Smith. Although it's unclear how and when the couple met, they're both from South Bend, Indiana. While Skylar attended Washington High School, Daniel went to Clay High School—but they both attended college at Notre Dame, so there's a good chance that they met at the university.
Skylar Diggins-Smith's husband is also a former athlete. While in school, he was a wide receiver for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. After an injury ended his athletic career, he focused his attention on another passion: art. In addition to designing logos and clothing for brands, Daniel Smith also owns Doperman Studios, an art gallery in Dallas, Texas.
Daniel and Skylar Diggins-Smith's Relationship Timeline
Although we don't know exactly when Skylar Diggins-Smith and her husband Daniel Smith first started dating, we can guess that they first crossed paths in college sometime between 2009 and 2013. Here's a look inside their relationship timeline.
June 2016: Skylar Diggins and Daniel Smith Get Engaged
A few years after they began dating, Daniel Smith proposed to Skylar Diggins in June 2016. The special moment happened inside the Mary Tomas Gallery, a fine art studio in Dallas, Texas.
May 2017: Skylar Diggins and Daniel Smith Get Married
The following year, Skylar Diggins-Smith's wedding to Daniel Smith took place in Chicago. We break down all the details of their modern, artistic nuptials below.
April 2019: Skylar Diggins-Smith and Daniel Smith's First Child Is Born
Two years into their marriage, Skylar Diggins-Smith and husband Daniel Smith welcomed their first child together, a son named Seven. After giving birth, the new mom opened up about balancing parenthood with her WNBA career during an appearance on Chris Paul's talk show How I Got Here. "Nine weeks after I had him I was in practice," she shared. "Physically, I felt fine but I was in this fog that I just didn't understand what was going on. It was hard for me to explain my emotions. When you go through postpartum depression you kind of get this feeling like you're the only one going through this and you don't really wanna ask for help."
It was later revealed that Skylar played the entire 2018-2019 WNBA season pregnant without telling anyone on her team.
2023: Skylar Diggins-Smith and Daniel Smith Welcome Their Second Child
Four years later, the couple welcomed their second child together, a daughter whose name has not publicly been announced. In an interview with Essence around Mother's Day, the athlete opened up about how her mom and grandmother's support influenced her as a mother. "I come from very strong women," she told the outlet. "I remember being at games when I was young. They would come and were very, very supportive. I'm blessed to be able to have [them] as examples growing up and just really showing deep-rooted values."
She also praised her husband for providing unwavering support when she's away from home. "My husband [is] the one that takes care of the kids when I'm on the road, when I have to do things. So it's a blessing having a husband who wants to be so hands-on," she continued, adding that she wants to inspire her kids through her career. "I always knew that I wanted a kid while I was playing because I want my kids to see me play. I think that that stuff is intangible, you know. When they see you really going after your dreams."
Inside Daniel and Skylar Diggins-Smith's Wedding
Skylar Diggins-Smith and her husband Daniel got married in May 2017. They enlisted the help of wedding planner Akeshi Akinseye of Kesh Events to pull together a luxe event at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois.
Diggins, who was one of The Knot's featured engaged influencers in the Summer 2017 issue of our magazine, opened up to us about her bridal beauty plan ahead of the big day. "I'm not totally sure yet, but I do know I want to go for a more elegant, sophisticated look on my wedding day than I might do in my everyday life," she said. "My personal style may be tomboy chic, but for my wedding, I just want to look chic. I love lush lashes, great brows and dramatic eye makeup."
On her wedding day, the bride was resplendent in a cap-sleeve lace gown by Berta with a plunging neckline and lace details, while the groom looked handsome in a navy and black tuxedo. "Congratulations Mr.& Mrs. Smith! It was an absolute pleasure planning with @skydigg4 and @daniel87smith," Akinseye expressed on Instagram. "Beautiful couple inside and out. Thank you [for] trusting us with your special day!"
The planner followed up with another reception shot of the newlyweds gazing lovingly at each other. "These two couldn't be any more perfect together or so in love," Akinseye continued. "Congrats @skydigg4 ❤️ @daniel87smith. We are so honored to be a part of and witness the joy of your wedding day."
With reporting by Esther Lee.