DiJonai Carrington found herself in an unexpected position this season after she was traded from the Dallas Wings to the Minnesota Lynx ahead of the trade deadline. One day, she was on a team at the bottom of the league, and the next, she was the top and rocketing her way to the one-seed in the WNBA playoffs.
That playoff run may have ended sooner than the Lynx would have liked after an upset elimination against the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals, while Carrington was sidelined with a foot injury she sustained in Round One, but it was still the journey of a lifetime for the 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player.
Now, Carrington is heading into the offseason as a free agent, like many other players across the WNBA, with the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire at the end of October. While the future could take her anywhere across the league, she undoubtedly enjoyed her time in Minnesota and took to Instagram to share a grateful message to her team and Minnesota fans for her 2025 experience.
“THANK YOU Minny [Minnesota] for embracing me in an unimaginable way! That first game at Target Center truly game me chills feeling the immense love you had for me. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to help us finish the job💔 Thank you to my DiJonai Stans for ALWAYS having my back.🤞🏽” Carrington wrote.
It was a bittersweet ending to such an exhilarating season for both Carrington and Minnesota, and she reflected on the disappointment fans and players alike shared for coming up short of the WNBA crown. Still, she was sure to express her gratitude for her experience and affirm her faith in what comes next.
Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) and guard DiJonai Carrington (3) reacts after a play against the Connecticut Sun in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
“As I sit here completely heartbroken and deeply at a loss for words at how this entire season unfolded and the uphill battle that is to come for me, I know there’s something even greater waiting for me on the other side of it 🙏🏽 ,” Carrington wrote.
Carrington played the first four seasons of her WNBA career with the Connecticut Sun in the midst of a Golden Age for the franchise. The Sun were one of the best teams in the league and made the playoffs in every season that Carrington was with the team from 2021-24, though they never took home the finals themselves.
Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington (3) dribbles towards the basket against Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) during the second half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The trade that sent her to the Wings in 2025 was a major shift for Carrington, as she was now part of a rebuilding team near the bottom of the league. Joining the Lynx midseason represented a return to the winning that Carrington had grown accustomed to in her professional career.
Her offseason will be one of surgery and recovery to mend her foot injury, and after that, she’ll be in need of a new contract. Considering the success she enjoyed in the brief time she was in Minnesota and the glowing review of her experience, she wrote in her Instagram post, Minnesota could very well be the home that she desires going forward.
“#321 to be continued… 🩷,” Carrington finished.