Newly acquired Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington to make home debut Friday vs. Mystics

When Natisha Hiedeman heard DiJonai Carrington was coming to Minnesota — via Courtney Williams, naturally — she texted her former Connecticut Sun teammate the sideways eyes emoji.

Carrington replied: “I’ll see you tonight.”

Carrington was traded from the Dallas Wings to the Lynx on Sunday morning in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round pick. Carrington caught a flight to Seattle that same day and, on Tuesday night, dropped 13 points in a road win over the Storm. Now, she’s preparing for her Lynx home debut Friday against the Washington Mystics at Target Center.

Carrington spoke with reporters Thursday following her first practice at The Courts at Mayo Clinic Square. After walking through sets with associate head coach Eric Thibault and shooting with assistant coach Lindsay Whalen, she stepped off the hardwood. Carrington briefly caught her reflection in a nearby window, brushing her rose gold hair into place.

First impressions matter. And as for Carrington’s impressions of the Lynx’s practice facility?

“Awesome‚” she said. “I walked into a breakfast station and make-your-own omelet, so it was great. We have all the things we could possibly need in one space. ... I haven’t had that yet.”

A second-round pick in 2021, Carrington played four seasons with the Connecticut Sun, where she blossomed into the 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player and earned all-defensive team honors.

Carrington was acquired by the Wings in a four-team trade in February. As Thursday’s trade deadline approached, though, the Lynx had a sense Carrington might be on the table.

Talks sped up last week and, by Saturday, a deal felt imminent.

“What we really embraced was, we felt like we could use a little more help as we made this run ... that was really our focus,” Reeve said.

Reeve explained that Carrington brings a different look to the Lynx than Williams, Kayla McBride or Bridget Carleton — especially on defense.

While Reeve acknowledged adding another post player would have been great, she felt Carrington was “a great option” considering cap space and roster space limitations. Carrington takes pride in guarding multiple positions, which Reeve said will give the Lynx more flexibility and ability to cross-match heading into the postseason.

The Lynx will also have more swagger with Carrington, who is known for her signature seatbelt celebration. She teased Thursday that, while she hasn’t used the move yet this season, fans may see it soon.

“She got a lil’ trash talk,” Hiedeman said with a smile. “I feel like she backs it up too. When you can back it up, hey, we got your back.”

The Lynx have Carrington under contract through the end of the season, with the option to resign her in the offseason.

“A lot of us [players] are going to be free agents in the coming months,” Carrington said. “So it’s all up in the air, but I’m happy where I am and I’m excited for whatever is to come.”

The WNBA is grappling with a trend of sex toys being thrown onto courts during games — with at least three such instances in under two weeks — prompting arrests, security concerns and outcry from players and coaches.

“This has been going on for centuries — the sexualization of women," Reeve said. “This is the latest version of that and it’s not funny ... the sexualization of women is what’s used to hold women down. This is no different.”