The Connecticut Sun could experience major changes this offseason, as some of their players might be leaving the organization after a second-round elimination in the 2024 WNBA playoffs. Following the departure of Stephanie White, some players could follow through and abandon the ship.
The front office anticipated these moves and acted on them. WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell shared that the Sun extended a qualifying offer to Alyssa Thomas, a restricted qualifying offer to DiJonai Carrington and a Reserved qualifying offer to Caitlin Bickle.
The move for Alyssa Thomas allows the Sun exclusive rights to the player, ending her unrestricted free agency. She had signed a four-year, $836,000 contract, meaning she won $209,000 per season. Now, they'll offer the veteran a one-year supermax salary worth $249,244, and both parties can strike a long-term deal. She can't negotiate with another team but can request a trade.
DiJonai Carrington signed a four-year rookie contract with the Connecticut Sun worth $193,370, and this could be the time the former No. 20 overall pick decides to leave.
The Sun posted the third-best record in the WNBA last season (28-12) and Carrington won the Most Improved Player award. However, everything fell apart when the Minnesota Lynx eliminated them in the second round of the postseason.
DiJonai Carrington spoke on WNBA future before Connecticut Sun extended qualifying offer
After a terrific 2024 campaign, DiJonai Carrington is a solid candidate to join teams trying to improve their level of performance. According to Sara Gamelli of Ball is Life on Thursday, Carrington insisted that she's trying to get better before anything else.
"My focus right now is to continue to develop my game and my skills," Carrington said. "Hopefully teams will see that and my team obviously knows that. We'll see where it takes us."
Carrington unlocked her offensive game last season, averaging 12.7 points and five rebounds per game. She also showed her defensive skills, posting 1.6 steals per night and taking on the challenge of guarding the opposing team's best player on a nightly basis.
This can be one of the main storylines of the offseason, as the Connecticut Sun could blow it up and start a new project or bring other experienced players to start the post-Stephanie White era.
DiJonai Carrington could be a person of interest for teams like the LA Sparks, Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky, but only time will tell how this situation unfolds at Mohegan Sun Arena.