Situations and the opportunities they allow dictate a plethora of outcomes in professional sports. For newly acquired Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington, the same could be said about being traded from the Dallas Wings (8-22), the second-worst team in the WNBA, to the best in Minnesota (25-5).
In her first appearance with the Lynx, the former Wings guard finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. She also had a plus-minus of 9, which was the second-highest mark on the team.
Getting traded midseason is never an easy task for athletes to deal with, especially in Carrington’s case, where Dallas’ front office rolled out the red carpet in the offseason in a clear crowning of their biggest offseason achievement. Now with Minnesota, Carrington is focused on who she is surrounded with, and one shared goal of winning a championship.
“It’s been great. Honestly, I don’t have any complaints. It helped that I’m so familiar with three people on the team. Three people who are a big part of the offense, so it’s been great. I’m glad to be part of a team where we have a goal and everyone is fighting for that goal. You can just feel the energy every huddle, every possession, and this is a group of winners. I’m a winner too, so it’s great to be a part of it.”
— Carrington on the trade and appreciating Minnesota’s togetherness as a unit
If Minnesota’s social media pages were any indication of how Carrington is adjusting to her new team, they paint a pretty clear image of unity and appreciation for what she is as a player, but also as a person. Surrounded by those who only want the best for her, including “Lynx boss” Cheryl Reeve, Carrington’s efficiency on both sides of the ball paid dividends for a team that needed every stop and score.
“With Nai [DiJonai], we wanted her to play without thinking and do simple things. The things that are innate to her is to compete. Whether it's offensively or defensively, live in your space that you don’t play outside of yourself. That’s what we’re going to try hard to coach. We’ve coached that with everybody. I thought she did that. And her block, running in transition, that’s her. I think that’s the epitome of she’s never going to quit. That’s a competitor times ten. I’m happy for her in her first game in a Lynx and helped us win a game. We had to move some people around, and we had [Bridget] Carleton playing some four, we had a little bit of foul trouble, and we had an ankle injury. Just navigating and Nai being able to come into a group that’s already established and try to fit. I think a lot of players come in and try not to screw up what’s going on. I feel like she did a great job at being herself. And she had some players empowering her to do those things, so, great, great first outing for her.”
— Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve reflecting on Carrington’s debut
If you thought Carrington was on the court gliding from rim to rim on every turn, you would be correct. She scored eight of her 13 points on the fast break at the rim. The familiarity with players on the roster and Reeve’s simplistic, yet sophisticated philosophy is a near-perfect landing spot for Carrington to reestablish herself on the court, but also have fun doing it. That was not the case in Dallas.
“I felt great. Like I said, this is a team that wants to run. It’s not methodical where we’re trying to run, we’re moving the ball, moving our bodies, and that’s how I like to play. Up-tempo and fast-paced. Cuts, screens, just continuing to catch the defense slipping. So, it’s been great on that end. Defensively, I love that everybody is working on the same page. We’re working on a string. If you get beat, the next person got you and you’re peeling. So, it’s really easy because that’s how my mindset is already to play. Just keep going. Okay, I’m beat. I’m not going to stop moving. I’m just going to the next. To have four people on the court doing the same exact thing makes it easy, and I don’t have to think. I was just able to be out there and play and run.”
— Carrington after the game when speaking to reporters about adjusting with new teammates
One factor in Carrington’s rise on the defensive end of the floor was the level of talent around her. With All-Defensive teammates like Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, and DeWanna Bonner, Carrington’s workload was simplified, and her role was clear. She was empowered to fly around and wreak havoc on the defense without worry because there was a synergy in the team’s approach. As part of a lopsided roster and roles that only blurred further as the season progressed, to expect the same level of production is a tall ask that should not be.
“It felt great. I had a lot of fun, honestly. One of the first times I’ve had fun playing basketball this season. Everybody was encouraging me and telling me to just do what I do. It’s great to know they brought me here for a reason and see something.”
Teammates like All-Defensive center Alanna Smith and others will have the same impact on Carrington as Thomas and Jones on the Sun. It only took 17 minutes in one appearance to sort out what Carrington’s role would be with the Lynx. From finding her spots on the offensive side to making an impact on defense that may not always show up on the box score, her abilities bring out the best in those around her.
In the fourth quarter, Carrington’s primary assignment was seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, who was held to three points on 1-for-3 shooting in the final frame.
“Aw, man, it felt so good. I was just telling her in the locker room, like, it’s a crazy feeling to be able to tell somebody, hey, you go guard the one. Honestly, that was a crazy game-changer for us to be able to put size on Sky [Skylar Diggins]. I feel like at times, Sky was getting me and T [Natisha Hiedeman], but you can’t do that to DiJ. So, I think that was a game-changer for us, man. I love playing with DiJ. You see what she did. Definitely adding on to our team and making us even more of a problem.”
— Lynx guard Courtney Williams on Carrington’s versatility being a factor in the team’s win over the Storm
Rim Pressure
Carrington’s showing should not come as a surprise to anyone. In her 17 minutes, she played stout defense and used her speed in transition to turn opportunities into points on the board, which she has done successfully throughout her career. In 2025 alone, Carrington is shooting 52.6 percent at the rim, which is sixth among guards who take at least three attempts a game.
Carrington’s first step is as well-known as it is thunderous. In the blink of an eye, she meets the rim with authority. Her first attempt in a Lynx uniform was just that, as Carrington blew by two Storm defenders for a trip to the line. Although it did not occur in this instance, she has a knack for finding open shooters on kickouts, which will prove to be a noteworthy wrinkle in her time on the floor for Minnesota.
Carrington has always been one of the fastest players in the league, but speed on the break is not enough. Players have to know how to time their speed with the flow of their teammates and the ball handler to ensure they are not overshooting a potential pass. With the players that she shared the floor with in her career, this was the bread and butter for Carrington as far as areas for her to impact.
In this clip, Carrington slows down ever so slightly in anticipation of the bounce pass from Williams, which is one of several hundred that she has probably received from her in their one season together in Uncasville.
When speaking to other reporters, it was no secret that Carrington, Williams, and Hiedeman were overjoyed to be teammates once again. It showed in front of the cameras and on the court early and often.
On a soaring lob from Hiedeman, Carrington times the pass perfectly and finishes the play in one stride. This was the start of a flurry of baskets for her in the fourth quarter, where she scored 10 of her 13 points.
When Carrington said she was enabled by her teammates to play and just run the floor, she meant it. She scored a hefty amount of her points in transition off her speed and control, giving the Lynx a 17-10 advantage in fastbreak points.
Her experience with ball handlers like Williams and Hiedeman was on display throughout the second half last night in Seattle. It took Williams two dribbles to know where she wanted the ball to go, and Carrington only needed one to connect on the finger roll.
On a pure hustle play, Carrington inbounds the ball and takes advantage of the Storm’s lapse in coverage for a quick two on a pass from Kayla McBride that was in the air as soon as Carrington made a move to the rim.
Even though DPOY candidate Gabby Williams slid over the screen, Carrington continues the drive and gets the call for free throws. She went 2-for-5 from the line in her Lynx debut.
Hard Hat Work
Carrington’s reputation as one of the league’s most elite wing defenders is public knowledge. In her time with the Connecticut Sun, the 2024 Most Improved Player and All-Defensive selectee made it her mission to stop the opposing team’s best player, and she did so with regularity. From the chase-down blocks on the break to utilizing her frame on the perimeter, or holding her own against larger players on the interior, defending multiple positions across the floor came with the job.
With an eye on the ball from the start, Carrington spots it loose after an errant pass from Wheeler sends the ball near the sideline. Carrington then traipses it before sending the ball to Hiedeman for the score.
Carrington was everywhere at once during this possession. Initially starting in the left corner, she fights her way through a screen and blows up the dribble handoff, forcing Lexie Brown to pass the ball to Wheeler, who then zips it to the right corner to Tiffany Mitchell.
Carrington is there every step of the way as Hiedeman swarms with her to Mitchell. Carrington eventually fouls Mitchell, although there was no clear indication on the broadcast that she initiated it.
Carrington had two steals in her Lynx debut, and both came from turnovers committed by Wheeler. In this clip, the ball comes to her as if she is a teammate, which turns into a midrange pull-up for Williams on the other end to capitalize.