Dallas send DiJonai Carrington to Minnesota for Diamond Miller

A month after the Dallas Wings kicked off trade season by sending NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round pick, the Wings made another headline-worthy move in the days leading up to the 2025 trade deadline on August 7.

The Wings sent DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, and Minnesota’s 2027 second-round pick.

The move comes after Dallas acquired Carrington as part of a multi-team deal headlined by Satou Sabally, who headed to Phoenix after spending five seasons with the Wings.

In 20 games with the Wings, Carrington averaged 10.4 points, 1.6 STOCKs (steals+blocks), 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 26 percent from three-point range and 35.4 percent from the field overall.

The 2024 Most Improved Player is in the final year of her contract, set to become a free agent after this season.

In exchange, Dallas gets Miller, the former No. 2 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Miller started all 32 games she played in during the 2023 season, but she’s started just four of her last 46 games in the last two seasons, averaging 9.9 minutes per game.

The expectation is Carrington will come off the bench for the Lynx, allowing the sharp-shooting Bridget Carleton to remain with the starting unit.

The Minnesota starting lineup of Carleton, Courtney Williams, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Alanna Smith has the fourth-best net rating and offensive rating of any five-player lineup combination in the league. Having Carrington rotate in with a second unit consisting of Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard is the most-likely scenario. 

To complete the deal, the Dallas Wings waived Teaira McCowan. Teams will have 48 hours to claim McCowan before she becomes a free agent.