Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper leaves 5-word reaction to Skylar Diggins-Smith's dominant 1-on-1 outing

Skylar Diggins-Smith had a dominant outing in Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 game against Dearica Hamby on Monday. The score ended 11-3 in favor of Diggins-Smith, who finished with two 3-pointers.

Diggins-Smith’s performance caught the attention of Michael Jordan’s former teammate Ron Harper, who reacted to her one-on-one dominance on X with a five-word statement lauding the Seattle Storm star.

“A player for sure wow,” Harper said.

Despite the height disadvantage, the 5-foot-7 Diggins-Smith’s defensive brilliance and quickness were put to use to clamp down 6-foot-2 Hambry en route to the lopsided victory.

With the win, Diggins-Smith advanced to the second round of the 1-on-1 tournament. She will next face Arike Ogunbowale in the 30-place tournament. Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament winner will bring home a $350,000 prize pool.

Harper played as a point guard and shooting guard throughout his career, highlighted by his stint with the Chicago Bulls, winning three titles from 1996 to 1998 alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.

Harper was also part of two of the LA Lakers’ three straight NBA titles, playing a key role along with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Meanwhile, Diggins-Smith has not yet won a WNBA title since being drafted third overall in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock. She is playing for the Lunar Owls BC in the Unrivaled League.

Skylar Diggins-Smith uses the Unrivaled League to help her get ready for the 2025 WNBA season

For Skylar Diggins-Smith, the Unrivaled League is more than just an offseason getaway. With the amount of star power in the new league, it is a training ground ahead of the WNBA season.

Talking to the Seattle Storm official, Diggins-Smith cited the quality of players who joined the competition in its inaugural season for wanting to play in Unrivaled.

“The quality of competition that’s going to be there, I’m a firm believer that iron sharpens iron," she said. "The talent that’s been collected for the inaugural season already, that’s exciting. I look forward to that competition, and that will prepare me, ultimately, for how I want to be in the WNBA.”

Diggins-Smith had her lowest-scoring season since 2016, averaging 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in the 2024 season. The Storm finished the season as the fifth seed and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.