Notre Dame Professional Athletes

Notre Dame alumnae made noise across the WNBA this week — on the stat sheet, in the courtroom, and in the podcast studio. Here's the full rundown.

Citron and Mabrey Put on a Show

The week's most compelling Irish subplot played out Friday night when Washington hosted the Tempo — and two Notre Dame products stole the show on opposite benches.

Sonia Citron dropped 26 points with 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks for the Mystics, finishing with a blistering +13 plus/minus in Washington's 68–65 win. The performance was a reminder that Citron, still early in her pro career, has the two-way ceiling to be a genuine building block for Washington.

Marina Mabrey answered right back from the Tempo side: 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, even if she ended up on the wrong side of the final score at –7. Mabrey has always been capable of going for 30 on any given night, and Friday confirmed she remains one of the most dangerous shot-creators in the league. In a different game, that line wins.

Ogunbowale's Legal Cloud Lifts — and She Rewarded Dallas Anyway

The bigger off-court story this week belonged to Arike Ogunbowale. The Florida State Attorney's Office in Miami dismissed the misdemeanor battery charge against the Wings star stemming from a March nightclub incident, per ESPN. Ogunbowale had pleaded not guilty in April; the case is now closed.

With that resolved, the full context of her contract situation came into sharper focus. Ogunbowale — eligible for the WNBA's new supermax salary under the CBA — told Yahoo Sports it was a "no-brainer" to take a discount on her extension with Dallas. The Wings have been a franchise in flux, and Ogunbowale's willingness to leave money on the table to stay speaks to her investment in building something real there.

Diggins Headlines Chicago's Reinvention

Skylar Diggins signed with the Chicago Sky this offseason as part of one of the most turbulent roster overhauls in recent WNBA memory — the Sky traded away Angel Reese, acquired Rickea Jackson, and arrived at 2026 with zero of their 2025 draft picks on the active roster. Maddy Westbeld, also a Notre Dame product, was among those drafted by Chicago in 2025 who did not make the final roster.

Per CBS Sports, there are real reasons for optimism around Chicago's new-look group despite the chaos, and Diggins — an All-Star who took advantage of CBA free agency to land closer to home — is the headliner of that rebuild.

Off the court, Diggins is co-launching a podcast called ANDMOM alongside broadcaster Cassidy Hubbarth. The show, per Yahoo Sports, aims to challenge and rewrite the playbook for working mothers navigating careers and parenthood. It's a project that fits squarely in the conversation Diggins has been driving throughout her career — and adds another dimension to what is shaping up to be a defining chapter for the 12-year veteran.

Four Irish alumnae. Four different storylines. One very busy week for Notre Dame's WNBA footprint.

Sources:

• Battery charge vs. Wings' Ogunbowale dropped — ESPN
• Arike Ogunbowale took discount on contract even with new CBA. Here's why. — Yahoo Sports
• Skylar Diggins is ushering in a new era for the Chicago Sky, but questions remain after chaotic offseason — CBS Sports
• How Sky ended up with zero 2025 WNBA draft picks on roster after Hailey Van Lith, Ajsa Sivka departures — The Sporting News
• Skylar Diggins, Cassidy Hubbarth challenge working mom playbook with new podcast — Yahoo Sports
• After the CBA opened the floodgates, some notable WNBA All-Stars decided to play closer to home — Yahoo Sports

Notre Dame Alumni WNBA Roundup | April 21–27, 2026

Two Fighting Irish alumni are commanding attention as the 2026 WNBA season approaches — and for very different reasons.

Skylar Diggins Joins a Retooled Chicago Sky

Skylar Diggins is suiting up for the Chicago Sky, one of the league's most scrutinized rosters heading into 2026. The Notre Dame guard is part of a new-look lineup that has generated plenty of questions about fit, rotation, and starting assignments. According to FanSided, the Sky's depth chart features a wave of new additions — including Azura Stevens — leaving analysts dissecting how the pieces slot together. Where Diggins lands in the starting five is among the biggest open questions for a franchise that is clearly in the middle of a rebuild with ambitions.

Diggins, one of the most decorated guards to come out of South Bend, brings both veteran leadership and scoring punch to Chicago. Whether the Sky's supporting cast is ready to maximize her presence will be one of the more compelling storylines of the early season.

Kayla McBride's 16-Pound Physical Overhaul Turns Heads

Meanwhile in Minnesota, Kayla McBride is making news not with highlights but with what she's put into the offseason. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve publicly spotlighted McBride's 16-pound physical transformation following an injury setback — a detail that signals just how seriously the Notre Dame alum is approaching her return. Reeve's decision to call it out specifically suggests the coaching staff sees it as meaningful, not cosmetic.

McBride has long been one of the league's premier perimeter scorers, and a recommitted, physically revamped version of her is a compelling prospect for a Lynx team that expects to compete. The combination of durability concerns after injury and a visible commitment to reshaping her body makes her one of the more intriguing returning players in the league this spring.

The Bigger Irish Picture

Beyond those two headliners, Notre Dame's WNBA footprint remains impressively wide. Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard are in Dallas with the Wings. Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, and Brianna Turner give the Las Vegas Aces a three-alumni pipeline from South Bend. Marina Mabrey is with the Tempo, Maddy Westbeld is on the same Chicago Sky roster as Diggins, and Sonia Citron is in Washington with the Mystics. Lindsay Allen is in Phoenix with the Sun, Liatu King joins McBride in Minnesota, and Kathryn Westbeld rounds out the Mercury's roster.

It's a roster sheet that underscores Notre Dame's standing as one of the premier pipelines to the professional game — and with Diggins and McBride both generating genuine preseason buzz, the Irish are well-represented at the top of the conversation heading into 2026.

Source links cited:

• Skylar Diggins, starting 5 and the biggest questions for new-look Chicago Sky depth chart (FanSided): https://fansided.com/skylar-diggins-starting-5-and-the-biggest-questions-for-new-look-chicago-sky-depth-chart?utm_source=RSS
• Cheryl Reeve Spotlights Kayla McBride's 16-Pound Transformation Following Injury Setback (Yahoo Sports WNBA): https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cheryl-reeve-spotlights-kayla-mcbride-141159620.html