The Lynx made big waves when they traded for DiJonai Carrington, sending out youngster Diamond Miller, injured veteran Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round pick. Trading one of their few young players for last season’s Most Improved Player of the Year and an All-Defensive First Team member signals the Lynx’s absolute dedication to winning now.
Carrington’s defense, ball-handling, and playoff experience will undoubtedly boost the Lynx’s bench. Until now, head coach Cheryl Reeve only truly trusted Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard to play big minutes off the bench when games mattered the most. Carrington fills a hole on the roster that was created by Karlie Samuelson’s season-ending injury.
Her addition to the roster should also have a positive effect on her new teammates, particularly Kayla McBride. McBride is one of the Lynx’s best offensive players, but she also has to take on some of the toughest defensive assignments game after game. Carrington’s presence will help lighten some of the defensive load on McBride, giving her a chance to focus more energy on offense.
DiJonai Carrington is one of the best perimeter defenders in the WNBA
DiJonai Carrington is 5’11, athletic, and gritty, and has great defensive instincts. She can lock down any perimeter player and is the kind of player Cheryl Reeve can trust to defend the best guard on the other team.
Her emergence as a lockdown defender and solid two-way presence was underlined by a All-Defensive First Team selection last season. Only two guards made an All-Defensive team: Carrington and Natasha Cloud. Carrington was the only guard on the first team next to Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson, Ezi Magbegor, and Breanna Stewart.
Between Carrington, McBridge, Bridget Carleton, and Courtney Williams, the Lynx have one of the best defensive rotations on the perimeter. Carrington likely won’t be a top offensive option for the Lynx. So, she can expend as much energy as possible defensively and lighten the load on the others.
Kayla McBride will have to step up with Napheesa Collier out
The Lynx will have to play without Napheesa Collier for at least two weeks after she suffered an ankle injury in their win over the Aces. During that stretch, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams will have to carry the team offensively. That will be a lot easier to do if McBridge doesn’t have to focus on guarding some of the best players in the league.
In the Lynx’s last two games, for example, she guarded Sabrina Ionescu, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young. Nevertheless, she scored 24 points in both games. Just imagine what she’ll be able to do if Carrington can guard those kinds of players for significant minutes.
The Lynx still have a significant cushion between them and the second-seeded New York Liberty with 5.5 games. Nevertheless, the Lynx do not want to risk losing their footing without Collier. McBride will have to play at her best to help make up for Collier’s production when the Lynx face the Liberty, Dream, Fever, and Storm in seven consecutive games.