User blog comment:Care Level/Let's talk about Diana./@comment-7967732-20140311020451

Though I share the opinion that Athene > Abyssal, and also prefer Nashor to Lich, going Athene 1st makes her snowball potential much worse in mid game. Rushing Athene is for champions that aim for a safe, farm lane with some occasional poke (Ori, Nida, Vel'Koz), not for an aggressive laner like Diana. On Diana, it is more an excuse for not managing her mana pool well.

Another excuse for Athene is when the enemy AP is too bursty (LB, Akali). Even then, going straight for pure AP like Deathcap can still be better, as you gain more tankiness & more kill potential.