DiJonai

Carrington

Injured during Thursday’s Game 2 victory over the Valkyries, Carrington has been diagnosed with a significant mid-foot sprain and will not play again this season. This injury is a major blow for the Lynx to take ahead of their semifinal matchup with the Mercury. Not only did Carrington provide offensive production off the bench since being acquired from the Wings, but she was also a valuable defender who gave Minnesota the lineup versatility that it lacked before the trade. Starter Kayla McBride will need to do more defensively, with Natisha Hiedeman needing to continue offering consistent offensive production off the bench.

Carrington only logged 14 minutes on Wednesday, but was sure to make the most of her limited action on the floor. In her minutes, she shot the ball well from deep and used her production there to finish as one of four Lynx players to score in double figures — her two three-pointers in the fourth quarter were particularly important in the Lynx’s double-digit comeback. Carrington had an impressive couple of games in this opening-round series after missing Minnesota’s four final regular-season games with a shoulder injury. She’ll remain an important piece coming off Minnesota’s bench in the second round against either the Liberty or Mercury.

The Lynx will be fully healthy on Sunday, as DiJonai Carrington has been upgraded from probable ahead of Game 1. The former reigning Most Improved Player had missed Minnesota’s final four regular-season games after injuring her shoulder against the Wings on September 1. She was acquired by the Lynx via trade on August 3 and has averaged 8.6 points over 11 appearances with her new team. Carrington’s return will provide Minnesota with even more depth as it looks to make another deep postseason run.

Carrington is set to miss her fourth straight game due to a shoulder injury suffered against the Wings on September 1. Carrington is the only Lynx player on the injury report for Thursday’s contest, which is a positive for the team as the playoffs begin on September 14. Carrington was acquired by Minnesota in a trade from Dallas before the deadline and has averaged 8.6 points per game since joining the Lynx. Her status for the opening game of the playoffs is unclear at this point

Carrington remains sidelined for a third straight game due to a left shoulder injury. Her absence has resulted in more minutes for fellow reserve Natisha Hiedeman, but the Lynx will need a healthy Carrington in the rotation for the postseason. The injury also impacts starter Kayla McBride, who takes on more defensive responsibilities on the perimeter.

Carrington will miss her second straight game after leaving Monday’s game against the Wings. Head coach Cheryl Reeve explained after the Lynx’s win on Monday night that Carrington has been dealing with a flex shoulder(partial dislocation) during the season. With Carrington out, Natisha Hiedeman will be expected to step up off the bench. She played 28 minutes against the Aces on Thursday and 30 minutes against the Wings on Monday. The last time Hiedeman logged this many minutes was the first week of the season when startling point guard Courtney Williams struggled early on. Kayla McBride’s responsibilities will also have to increase on defense especially when it comes to containing most improved player front runner Veronica Burton.

Carrington was injured during Monday’s win over the Wings and will not be available for Thursday’s showdown. Kayla McBride’s return after sitting out that victory for rest reasons will help Minnesota compensate for Carrington’s absence. It also means Natisha Hiedeman’s playing time will decrease somewhat after logging 30 minutes on Monday.

Carrington exited Monday’s contest in the second quarter and did not return. She was replaced by Natisha Hiedeman in the lineup to begin the second half before eventually being ruled out in the fourth quarter. Carrington had played well for the Lynx in the 10 games prior to Monday’s after being traded from the Wings before the 2025 trade deadline, posting averages of 9.1 points on efficient shooting splits of 50.8/47.4/78.3. She serves as a versatile depth piece on the perimeter for Minnesota, who could play an important role this postseason.

Carrington gets the starting nod against her former team as she replaces Kayla McBride (rest) in the opening unit. Carrington spent the first 20 games of this 2025 season with the Wings before being acquired by the Lynx via trade. In 10 games with Minnesota, the reigning WNBA Most Improved Player is averaging 9.1 points on efficient shooting splits of 50.8/47.4/78.3. She’ll look to maintain a similar level of efficiency on Monday in her first start with the Lynx.

The Lynx will be without their sharpshooting veteran on the perimeter when they face the last-place Wings. McBride is scoring her most points per game since 2018 and is averaging a career-best in made three-pointers per game. She had tallied at least 13 points and three threes in each of the last five games prior to being ruled out ahead of Monday’s contest. McBride’s absence could mean more opportunities for DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman.