Minnesota Lynx Acquire DiJonai Carrington in Trade With Dallas Wings

Minnesota bolstered its second unit by acquiring guard DiJonai Carrington from the Dallas Wings in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 draft pick.

Less than a week before the WNBA trade deadline on Aug. 7, the Minnesota Lynx once again made a deadline trade for the second year in a row.

Minnesota announced Sunday morning it completed a trade with the Dallas Wings to acquire guard DiJonai Carrington in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round draft pick.

For the Lynx, this is a move that bolsters the roster, specifically the second unit, and strengths an already championship-level team with an experienced player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor.

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Addition of Carrington

Carrington, a 27-year-old guard in the final year of her contract before hitting the open market as an Unrestricted Free Agent this offseason, will immediately make an impact on the Lynx bench with the two-way play she provides.

Carrington found herself in Dallas last offseason after being traded by the Connecticut Sun, a team she spent the first four years of her WNBA career. In 20 games with the Wings this season, Carrington has averaged 10.4 points, a career-high 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 24.9 minutes per game. In her career, Carrington holds averages of 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists over 151 career games.

The former second-round pick who was named Most Improved Player and All-Defensive First Team in 2024 brings with her experience — notably in the playoffs with multiple deep postseason runs with Connecticut — as well as experience coming off the bench and boosting her squad defensively to go along with solid offensive contribution.

The addition of Carrington improves the Lynx without a doubt, and her fire, two-way play and experience makes for a perfect match in Minnesota. And Carrington will likely have some extra motivation while departing from a struggling Dallas squad and getting back into serious contention for a WNBA title.

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Departures of Miller, Samuelson

With Carrington entering Minnesota, that results in the departure of Miller and Samuelson, two players who have had somewhat disappointing stretches with the Lynx that were filled with injury.

Miller, a former No. 2 pick by Minnesota, entered the league with high potential, but has had her young career impacted by injuries and therefore a drop in minutes while sliding down the depth chart.

Miller had an encouraging rookie season in 2023, but her sophomore season was filled with injuries and she hasn’t been able to regain her spot in the rotation since. In totality, Miller appeared in 78 games over her three seasons with the Lynx, averaging 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

For Miller, this is probably the best outcome for her to bounce back and prove to everyone why she was worthy of the No. 2 selection in 2023. She gets a fresh start, and most importantly, more playing time in Dallas and joins a young squad that is learning together.

When it comes to Samuelson, it brings to close a season in Minnesota that unfortunately ended before it really even started.

The Lynx traded for Samuelson right before the season, acquiring her from Washington with the hopes of playing the Carrington role in providing a lift off the bench. After 16 games with Minnesota, Samuelson went down with a foot injury that will likely sideline her for the rest of the season.

In her 16 appearances with the Lynx, Samuelson averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16.5 minutes per game. Samuelson will continue to rehab her foot injury before hitting the open market as an Unrestricted Free Agent this offseason.

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Though some might be surprised of this move or that Minnesota would be willing to move on from a player like Miller, this is a move that is about the immediate future of the Lynx and winning a championship in 2025. And in the end, it is a move that might be of the best interest for all parties involved.