With the Connecticut Solar being one of the best crew within the league, it’s becoming to offer like to their finest gamers in All-Star voting. And because the crew is first in defensive ranking and opponent factors per recreation, why not commit a type of treasured backcourt votes to an early candidate for each the Most Improved and Defensive Participant of the Yr awards? DiJonai Carrington.
The 26-year-old put the league on discover on opening day, taking part in lockdown protection on Caitlin Clark, forcing the No. 1 decide within the 2024 WNBA Draft to overlook photographs and commit turnovers, spoiling her WNBA debut within the course of. In the course of the rematch between the 2 groups, Carrington once more performed elite protection, however was additionally capable of rating 22 factors on Clark, making use of her athleticism and power.
After her crew beat the Washington Mystics within the second contest of the season, Carrington defined in a easy and humble means how she grew to become so good on the defensive finish:
I had to determine a method to get on the courtroom and the best way I discovered to get on the courtroom was to be a lockdown defender. I used to be with Briann January, Jasmine Thomas, Alyssa Thomas, three of the all-time finest defenders in WNBA historical past … If you wish to play, you’ll discover a method to get on the courtroom.
And whereas the video games towards the Indiana Fever gave her the popularity she deserves, Carrington loved different stellar defensive performances this season. On Might 28, the Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper, who’s third within the league in scoring, scored simply seven factors on 2-for-11 capturing when guarded by Carrington. On June 2, she restricted Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Grey to 9 factors on 3-for-11 capturing. And on June 15, she stored the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale, the league’s second-leading scorer, to 11 factors on 2-for-15 capturing.
Offensively, Carrington is a fastbreak machine, dashing to the basket and crashing into the inside after a turnover that she almost certainly compelled. Her 3-point capturing isn’t there but, perhaps it by no means will likely be, however she’s extra environment friendly and extra assured than ever with the ball in her fingers. Her 12.5 factors per recreation common is barely bested by her collegiate averages from her junior 12 months at Stanford and senior 12 months at Baylor, however she’s taking part in with a degree of maturity that’s past comparability to her earlier years.
With out her, the Solar don’t open the season 12-1. There’s a variety of competitors within the backcourt, so chances are high that Carrington could not earn an All-Star spot. However that doesn’t imply that she’s undeserving of it.
