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OVERVIEW: Second-year starter with maturity and savvy of a veteran ... returning All-America selection will be called upon to raise her leadership skills this season following departure of five seniors, including point guard Melissa Lechlitner ... athletic and versatile guard who blends scoring punch with strong playmaking abilities ... exceptional perimeter scorer with range to three-point line and beyond ... speed and agility to get into the paint and break apart opposing defenses ... superb passing skills and court awareness create numerous opportunities for teammates ... long arms and aggressive style on defense also make her an invaluable contributor, especially in traps and presses ...emotional player whose energy and intensity helps fuel teammates and fans alike.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2009-10): Appeared in all 35 games, starting 30 times ... led team in scoring (13.8 ppg.), steals (2.6 spg.) and assists (tied - 3.2 apg.), while ranking third on the squad in three-point percentage (.350) and free throw percentage (.782) ... chalked up a team-high 24 double-digit scoring games, including seven 20-point outings ... set Notre Dame freshman records for steals (90), free throws made (111), free throws attempted (142) and minutes played (1,028), while ranking among the top five on the Fighting Irish rookie charts for points (3rd - 484), scoring average (tied/4th - 13.8 ppg.), field goals made (3rd - 169), field goals attempted (3rd - 385), three-point field goals made (4th - 35), three-point attempts (5th - 100), three-point percentage (5th - .350), assists (3rd - 112), steals per game (2nd - 2.6 spg.), games started (tied/2nd - 30), games played (2nd - 35) and minutes per game (5th - 29.4) ... had team-high eight "5-5-5" games (including all three NCAA tournament games) and at least one steal in 33 of 35 games (16 outings with 3+ steals, including all six postseason games) ... fourth ND player to score 400 points as a freshman (most since Beth Morgan tallied 518 points in 1993-94, the last time an ND rookie led team in scoring) ... first ND freshman with 100 assists in debut season since 1994-95 (Mollie Peirick) ... made college debut vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 14 points (10 in the first half), eight rebounds, five assists and four steals ... dropped in 21 points and added three blocks in win over No. 23/24 San Diego State at Paradise Jam ... earned first career start vs. South Carolina at Paradise Jam, tallying 12 points and four steals ... scored 14 of team-high 16 points vs. No. 20/17 Oklahoma in first half, connecting on all four three-point attempts in the period (finished 4-6 on 3FG) ... named MVP of Paradise Jam Island Division after averaging 16.3 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 3.0 apg., with .538 FG% (21-39) and .545 3FG% (6-11) and leading Irish to three wins and tournament title ... shared team-high scoring honors vs. Eastern Michigan with 15 points, including go-ahead three-point play with 11:09 left and four key points in 8-0 run after final second-half media timeout ... collected 15 points, seven rebounds (five offensive) and four assists against No. 18/16 Vanderbilt ... chalked up 15 points, four assists and two steals at Purdue; had six points, steal and assist in 12-2 run bridging halftime to help Irish wipe out early 10-point deficit ... had sharp BIG EAST debut vs. Villanova with game-high 18 points (7-9 FG, 1-1 3FG, 3-3 FT) ... powered second-half surge for Irish at Louisville, scoring 15 of team-high 20 points (on 6-7 FG) in final 20 minutes ... scored 15 points and nabbed team-high four steals vs. No. 16/11 West Virginia, tallying eight of team's first 11 points, then seven in a 2:06 span during second-half rally ... another stat sheet stuffer at Syracuse with game-high 21 points (4-9 3FG), six assists, six rebounds and game-high four steal; scored 13 of 21 points in first 11 minutes, hitting four treys ... had team-high 14 points and four steals in win at Rutgers, including pair of buckets in 12-3 run late in second half after RU has closed to within two points ... strong effort vs. Pittsburgh with 23 points, season-high 10 rebounds and six assists (first career double-double) ... scored 18 of team-high 20 points (career-high 10-12 FT) in second half at No. 22/23 St. John's after first-half foul trouble ... came off bench for Senior Night game vs. Marquette and finished with eight points, six rebounds and career-high nine assists (most by ND rookie since 1/16/07 - Lechlitner vs. St. John's) ... connected for team-high 21 points (7-11 FG, 7-8 FT) in BIG EAST quarterfinal victory over No. 16 St. John's ... scored team-best 10 points (all in first half, made four of first seven shots) of BIG EAST semifinal loss to No. 1 Connecticut ... extraordinary performance in NCAA second-round win over Vermont with career-high 31 points (13-21 FG), career-best seven steals and six assists; most points ever by ND rookie in NCAA tourney game and tied ND records for steals and field goals made in NCAA game ... balanced night in NCAA Sweet 16 game vs. Oklahoma with 10 points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists; sent game to overtime by canning three-pointer from right wing with 32 seconds left in regulation.
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year starter at Washington High School (combined record of 102-7, .936) in South Bend, Ind., where she played for coaches Marilyn Coddens and Maurice Scott ... started 107 of 108 games she played in during her prep career ... helped team reach Indiana Class 4A state championship game each year (won title in her sophomore season of 2006-07) ... team was ranked No. 1 in nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz for much of 2008-09 season, going undefeated before two-point last-second loss in state championship game (and mythical national title contest) to Ben Davis High School at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium ... career averages of 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 4.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game ... career totals of 2,790 points (third in state history behind Stephanie White and Shanna Zolman), 620 rebounds, 601 assists, 475 steals and 161 blocks ... holds school records in all major statistical categories ... career single-game highs of 43 points (as freshman in '05-06 vs. South Bend St. Joseph's), 17 rebounds (Indiana Class 4A state championship game record in '07 final win over Columbus East), 12 assists, 12 steals and nine blocks ... during senior season of 2008-09, she averaged 29.0 ppg. (led state for second consecutive year), 6.3 rpg., 6.2 apg. (eighth in state), 5.4 spg. (fifth in state), and 2.2 bpg., with .555 field goal percentage (263-474) and .406 three-point percentage (56-138, 16th in state) as Washington compiled a 26-1 record and earned its fourth consecutive state finals appearance ... tallied 14 30-point games out of 26 games played ... narrowly missed rare quadruple-double in '08-09 season opener vs. LaPorte, finishing with 28 points, 12 assists, 12 steals and nine rebounds ... as a junior in 2007-08, she averaged 29.5 ppg. (tops in state), 7.6 rpg., 4.5 apg., 3.9 spg., and 1.7 bpg., while leading Washington to a 23-3 record and a state finals berth ... averaged 24.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 6.1 apg., and 4.7 spg., as a sophomore in 2006-07 while helping WHS to a 28-1 record and the Class 4A state title ... averaged 20.8 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 5.4 apg., 3.6 spg., and 1.2 bpg. as a freshman in 2005-06 when Washington posted a 25-2 record and advanced to the state championship game ... scored at least 700 points in each of her final three seasons, ranking as three of the top 23 single-season scoring marks in state history (career-high 767 points in 2007-08 ranks ninth all-time) ... owns two of top five Class 4A state championship game scoring records (29 in '09 is third; 27 in '07 is fifth) ... set 4A state finals record with four three-pointers in '06 ... exceptional student-athlete who compiled a 3.92 cumulative grade-point average in high school, graduating summa cum laude and finishing sixth among 300 students taking AP and honors courses at her school ... graduated from same high school as former Notre Dame two-time All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast, who ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list (1,874 points) and also won a WNBA title with the Detroit Shock in 2006.
AWARDS/HONORS: 2009 Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year (all sports), joining elite company that included previous winners LeBron James (2003), Dwight Howard (2004), Candace Parker (2004), Tina Charles (2006) and Maya Moore (2007) ... 2009 consensus National High School Player of the Year, earning top honors from Gatorade, Atlanta Tipoff Club (Naismith Trophy), ESPN Hoopgurlz and MaxPreps ... 2009 McDonald's and WBCA All-American (MVP at both all-star games, second player to do so following former Tennessee standout Alexis Hornbuckle) ... also won Powerade Jam Fest Girls' 3-Point Shootout title, besting Georgetown signee Sugar Rodgers in the final ... three-time high school All-American by Parade magazine (first team 2008 and 2009; third team 2007) and EA Sports (first team 2008 and 2009; second team 2007) ... USA Today All-USA Team (first team 2009; third team 2008) ... USA Today All-Underclass Team (2006) ... two-time Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year (2008 and 2009) ... two-time MaxPreps Indiana Player of the Year/first-team All-American (2008 and 2009) ... 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball (second Notre Dame signee to earn the honor and first since 1982, when Marion High School graduate/Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer Trena Keys was tapped for the award) ... scored combined 54 points in two-game series sweep for Indiana All-Stars over Kentucky (one off series record) ... 2009 South Bend Tribune Girls' Athlete of the Year (covers all female high school athletes in all sports throughout newspaper's coverage area) ... four-time Associated Press all-state selection (first team in 2007, 2008 and 2009; third team in 2006) and coaches' all-state choice (first team 2007, 2008 and 2009; second team 2006) ... consensus No. 1 guard in the country by all major recruiting services ... ranked second overall by Blue Star Basketball and third by All-Star Girls Report, Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and ESPN Hoopgurlz (highest ranking ever for point guard from Hoopgurlz) ... enjoyed extensive AAU career playing for South Bend Soldiers (coached by Maurice Scott) and The Family (coached by Kevin Merriweather) ... also a standout volleyball player at WHS -- three-year team captain and two-time all-league selection (2008 and 2009) ... National Honor Society.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION: Three-time USA Basketball gold medalist ... most recently co-captain on 2009 United States U19 World Championships Team that won gold medal at FIBA U19 World Championships in Thailand in August (team coached by current ND associate coach Carol Owens) ... started eight times in USA's nine games at U19 Worlds (missed pool play matchup with Canada due to illness), averaging 11.6 points (third on the team, 16th for entire tournament), 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists (second on the team, 11th for entire tournament) and 1.1 steals per game ... also led the Stars & Stripes with .857 free throw percentage (18-of-21, tied for third in entire tournament) and nine three-pointers (.333 percentage was second on the team and 12th in tournament), while 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio (15 assists, six turnovers) would have been tops for the entire tournament, but she was one assist shy of the minimum qualifying standard ... started all five games at 2008 FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, leading United States to perfect 5-0 record and gold medal; averaged 10.8 ppg. (second on team), 3.2 rpg., 3.6 apg. (first on team) and 2.0 spg. (tied-first on team) ... also ranked among top 10 in entire tournament in scoring (10th), field goal percentage (7th - .500), assists (2nd), steals (tied-8th) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd - 2.00) ... at 2007 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo., helped USA White team to 5-0 record and gold medal.
PERSONAL DATA: Born Aug. 2, 1990, in South Bend, Ind. ... daughter of Renee Scott and Tige Diggins, and stepdaughter of Maurice Scott ... has three younger brothers and one younger sister ... one of two Indiana natives on Irish roster in 2010-11, along with Valparaiso forward Becca Bruszewski ... featured in March 30, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated as part of its renowned "Faces in the Crowd" segment ... also talented disc jockey ... received NCAA waiver to attend inaugural ESPNW Retreat Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2010, in La Jolla, Calif.; was part of panel discussion on future of women's athletics ... currently enrolled in Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, but has not yet declared a major ... only third Notre Dame player to wear No. 4 and the first since Le'Tania Severe (2000-04).
CAREER HONORS:
2010: AP Honorable Mention All-America ... WBCA/State Farm Coaches' Honorable Mention All-America ... Second Team All-BIG EAST ... BIG EAST All-Freshman Team ... BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team ... Paradise Jam Island Division MVP ... Four-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week ... BIG EAST All-Academic Team.
Diggins' Career Statistics
| Season | G-S | Min-Avg | FG-FGA | Pct | 3FG-3FGA | Pct | FT-FTA | Pct | Off | Def | Tot | Avg | PF-DQ | A | T | B | S | Pts | Avg |
| 2009-10 | 35-30 | 1028-29.4 | 169-385 | .439 | 35-100 | .350 | 111-142 | .782 | 48 | 95 | 143 | 4.1 | 80-0 | 112 | 97 | 23 | 90 | 484 | 13.8 |
Diggins in the BIG EAST Conference
| Season | G-S | Min-Avg | FG-FGA | Pct | 3FG-3FGA | Pct | FT-FTA | Pct | Off | Def | Tot | Avg | PF-DQ | A | T | B | S | Pts | Avg |
| 2009-10 | 16-15 | 479-29.9 | 76-172 | .442 | 17-49 | .347 | 53-70 | .757 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 3.7 | 41-0 | 50 | 39 | 7 | 36 | 222 | 13.9 |
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