Why aren’t Dijonai Carrington and Jewell Loyd playing against Phantom BC? Mist BC stars’ absence in Unrivaled explored (Jan. 24)

Mist BC will be without DiJonai Carrington and Jewell Loyd to face Phantom tonight at the beginning of Week 2 of the first season of Unrivaled. After a strong start, the league will resume play with two duels, as Laces and Vinyl will clash in the second turn of the night.

The two veteran guards will not be available for this game, as they were ruled out with leg issues. WNBA reporter Khristina Williams said that the two stars will not be available for tonight’s game after announcing that Mist had signed free-agent forward NaLyssa Smith, who happens to be Carrington’s girlfriend.

Meghan Hall, another reporter, shared that Phantom will be without two key players, too, as Sabrina Ionescu is out due to personal reasons and Marina Mabrey is out with a right calf issue. Last but not least, Jackie Brown won’t make her debut with Lacers, as she remains out (lower body).

Mist BC is one of the teams that didn’t get a win in Week 1 of the competition. They lost the first game of the season against Lunar Owls 84-80 before being dismantled by Laces 63-43 on Monday. They’ll finish their participation this week against Rose BC on Saturday.

How did DiJonai Carrington, Jewell Loyd perform in first week with Mist BC?

Jewell Loyd and DiJonai Carrington are two different types of guards. The Seattle Storm veteran is one of the best offensive players in the WNBA while the Connecticut Sun star thrives on the less glamorous side of the ball.

That difference was visible in the inaugural week of Unrivaled, as Loyd averaged 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while Carrington only averaged 5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.5 apg, but made an impact on defense with 2.0 spg and 1.0 bpg.

If you’re one of the fans wanting to see DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith play together, it won’t happen tonight.

The positive note for Mist BC is that Phantom didn’t win a game in the first week, either. Without Sabrina Ionescu on the court, the job might get easier for Mist, but they still have stars like Satou Sabally and Brittney Griner to compete.

Rickea Jackson, Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, Aaliyah Edwards and Smith will have to win without Loyd and Carrington. Mist can’t afford to go another win without a win or their situation will start to look more complex.

Edited by Orlando Silva