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DiJonai Carrington got some attention as a candidate for the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award. The Connecticut Sun star wasn't as advertised as other defensive specialists like A'ja Wilson, Ezi Magbegor and Napheesa Collier, who won this year's award.
Still, some people supported Carrington in the voting for this award. NBC contributor Terrika Foster-Brasby showed proof on X, formerly Twitter, that she voted for the Sun guard/forward for the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and the DPOY.
"Yes, I was the one voter who selected DiJonai Carrington. I know guards don’t typically win this award, as so many believe (and the stats don’t always show) that they don’t impact the game defensively like post players. But Nai’s impact was felt nightly and my eyes saw it. 😊," she tweeted.
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Carrington was expected to take her game to a new level this season and she didn't disappoint. The three-year veteran was more consistent with her game and helped the Sun clinch the third seed in the playoffs while putting the clamps on her opponents on a nightly basis.
DiJonai Carrington had a season to remember, won WNBA award
DiJonai Carrington has been in the WNBA for three years, improving her level by the year. As Terrika Foster-Brasby noted, her stats aren't the most spectacular, but she does the job and has an impact on games. She averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists this year while shooting 40.3% from the field and 79.0% from the free-throw line.
Her defensive numbers are solid, to say the least, starting with a 94.7 defensive rating and a .171 defensive win share. Carrington ranked 12th in the WNBA in steals with 1.6 per game. She was tasked with guarding the biggest offensive threats several times, even going at it with rookie sensation Caitlin Clark more than once.
Carrington won the Most Improved Player of the Year award and now is trying to help DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Co. to reach the WNBA Finals and win the championship. She'll face Napheesa Collier's Minnesota Lynx in the second round of the playoffs. It could be a duel to see who is the best defender between them.
