http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/15472015/dallas-wings-star-skylar-diggins-wants-change-marketing-game-wnba-players

"You hoop?" He smiles shyly. "I dabble." "That's awesome," she says, beaming. Diggins has a jock's cool disposition, so when she smiles, it's transformative, like a ray of light passing through stained glass. In person, she is disarmingly beautiful, with hooded eyes, Ginsu knife -- sharp cheekbones and the kind of lips people pay for in Beverly Hills.

The BodyArmor ad centers on Diggins working out after hours, a glimpse at the solitary grind necessary for greatness. After nailing a dozen shots, Diggins sets up cones for a pick-and-pop drill, attempting to hit three long-range shots in a row. When she misses one, her mouth twists with frustration, and she mutters something under her breath. On her second attempt she bricks another one and cries out. It isn't until she misses again and throws her hands up in the air that I realize Diggins isn't acting -- that she's so relentlessly driven, so hyper­focused on winning, both in and away from the game, that she actually cares about making a meaningless shot whose only witnesses are her entourage. Diggins spins toward the corner where we're watching. "Can y'all get out?" We all jump to our feet, scurrying toward the door. No one says a word. A few minutes later, Diggins bursts out of the gym, carrying a ball in one hand. She walks past us, heading toward the exit, so we wait. Eventually, she returns. The group quietly files into the weightlifting room, where the cameraman is going to shoot another sequence, and Diggins sits on the bench. While she's stretching, I approach her, somewhat anxiously, and ask: "Did you make them?" She looks up and smiles. It's the kind of smile that makes rivals wither and fans click "follow," a smile that can sell cars and sneakers and anything with or without a price tag. It's a smile that's genuine, because it's born of both swagger and sweat. It's a smile that says: Hell yes, I did.