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John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant states the obvious, that Notre Dame point guard Skylar Diggins has become the face of college basketball, for many fans:

She is literally the face of women's basketball; high cheekbones, soft features, piercing eyes that have attracted more than 300,000 followers to her Twitter site — many male, some even intent on marriage.

She is the hometown kid who stayed home and in four years lifted Notre Dame to sustained national prominence in women's basketball; two straight national championship games and, most recently, an undefeated season in the Big East Conference.

But to some, Skylar Diggins All-American doesn't get enough credit for who she is and how she plays the game that has made her as familiar as perhaps any female athlete in the United States.

But some fans decry the attention given her. Diggins knows it:

Throughout the process, Diggins has remained true to herself. As galvanizing as she's been to the Irish, it's fair to say she's had somewhat of a polarizing impact on those who follow the game.

She's too pretty. She's too pouty. She gets too many foul calls and she complains when she doesn't. She is bigger than the game itself, social media's darling.

She has heard it all — over and over again.

I've noticed this too, and I don't agree with the criticism heaped on Diggins. It would be one thing if she tried to ride on her good looks and be a lazy player, but the young woman works hard. Her passion shows in every picture of her screaming in joy during a game - this season especially. It's not fair to blame her for our looks-biased society's leanings. If anything, she might be able to help shatter the myth that pretty women can't play.

It's time to lay off the Diggins hate.

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