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DiJonai Carrington has been acquired by the Dallas Wings via trade with the Connecticut Sun, first reported by our Rachel Galligan. The Sun traded Carrington, the No. 12 pick and the rights to swap the 2026 second round picks to the Wings for Jacy Sheldon and the No. 8 pick. Carrington joins NaLyssa Smith and Tyasha Harris, who were recently acquired by the Wings in a three-team trade sending Satou Sabally, Sevgi Uzun, and Kalani Brown to the Phoenix Mercury.
Carrington is coming off of her best season yet, earning the 2024 Most Improved Player Award in the Sun’s latest campaign. She logged two double doubles for the first time in her career, and was a defensive menace against every opponent. Per Her Hoops Stats, Carrington finished seventh in the league in Defensive Wins Shares and ninth in Defensive Player Rating for players who played in at least 20 games.
Carrington’s defensive presence is exactly what the Wings need to bolster their team in 2025. The Dallas franchise ended the season 11th in overall standing, and ranked last across the league in Defensive Rating. Additionally, since the Wings have lost major players like Brown, Sabally, and Natasha Howard who signed with the Indiana Fever, it’s crucial that they make up for those departures with a strong signing like Carrington. She was a highly sought-after restricted free agent because of her floor impact and defensive commitment. While the signing of Smith likely aided the Wings in their acquisition of Carrington, general manager Curt Miller took a risk in acquiring both players and it paid off.
Carrington set career highs in points, blocks, assists, rebounds and steals per game as she was a regular starter for the first time in her career. She became more involved in the offense for the Sun, attempting 12 shots from the field per game in 2024 – eclipsing her previous career high of 6.9 set in 2023. She has a chance to challenge Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson for Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, with her lockdown, seatbelt season defensive presence, but it will be her continued development as an offensive threat–especially from behind the three-point line–that will raise her trajectory for 2025 and beyond.
