SEATTLE -- A bright spot for the Dallas Wings despite their 1-8 start is their new two-way star, Dijonai Carrington (DEE-Zhan-ay). After being traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Wings in the offseason, she is heavily relied upon early in the year. With Dallas still trying to find success, their two-way star is doing everything she can to help them reach their potential. Although the Wings have a young guard duo in Paige Bueckers (BECK-ers) and Arike Ogunbowale (ARE-ree-kay OH-goon-buh-WALL-ay), Carrington has been that beacon of hope for them this season.

In a career full of growth, Carrington has become one of the best two-way players in the WNBA. She was a big part of Connecticut's semifinal run last season as her impact was felt on both sides of the ball. Carrington’s known for her ferocious defense, and she highlighted where her love of that side of the ball came from. Before scoring her season-high 22 points in the Wings’ 83-77 loss to the Seattle Storm, Carrington reflected on learning from her college coach, Kim Mulkey, and focusing on defense as a pro.

“When I transferred to Baylor, everyone knows Kim Mulkey hangs her hat on defense, so that was something she emphasized a lot,” Carrington said. “When I got into the league, I played with six All-Stars (during) my rookie year, so (Connecticut) didn’t really need me to score. I got better every day in practice on that side of the ball by guarding Dewanna Bonner (duh-WAN-uh), Briann January (bree-ON)…just a bunch of really talented wings and guards.”

With Carrington being coached by the right people and being able to guard multiple All-Stars as a pro, she grew into an elite defender. Under former head coach Curt Miller, who is the current GM of the Wings, Carrington struggled to find her role. Although the Sun experienced success in her first two seasons, she started three games total, averaging 13.35 minutes per year. When Stephanie White took the reins in 2023, Carrington became a vital piece to Connecticut’s elite defense. In the two seasons White was the head coach, the Sun finished first in 2024 and second in 2023 in defensive efficiency. Carrington's rise to stardom was largely due to White's coaching, but she credits her former teammates with making her an elite two-way player.

“I had a bunch of leaders around me…, all of them really helped to lead me and made it really easy for me (to grow),” Carrington said. “(Bonner) and (Brionna Jones; BREE-on-uh) are two of the best post players when it comes to being in pick-and-roll defense, so it was really easy to navigate with them on the court.”

The Sun’s veterans made her job as a defender easier to navigate the last two seasons, which helped them become an elite defensive unit. The 2025 offseason brought change for Carrington as she moved from Connecticut to Dallas. Now in her fifth season, she is becoming a veteran leader that younger guards like Bueckers and JJ Quinerly (QUINN-ur-lee) look up to. With Carrington playing on a team with two elite scorers in Ogunbowale and Bueckers, she views the opportunity to flourish as a third scorer.

“You get easy shots sometimes when you play with really, really good guards (like Bueckers and Ogunbowale) because there’s so much defensive attention to them,” she said. “The first few games Paige is getting double (and) triple teamed…we see Arike night in and night out getting double teamed. For me, being that third guard, I have to be more aggressive so that I can eliminate some of that pressure off of them.”

Playing with guards who demand so much attention, like Bueckers and Ogunbowale, can free up space to become a third scorer, and Carrington’s aggressiveness to score has risen. Her scoring and shooting numbers have improved from last season thus far, even though the Wings haven’t been winning. Carrington has also had to shoulder a bigger role than anticipated with Bueckers missing the last three games after being placed in concussion protocol. Her impact on the game is widely recognized as she steps up for Dallas, especially from her new coach. Wings Head Coach Chris Koclanes (Co-CLAN-us) complemented Carrington’s IQ as a two-way player and recognized her big-play abilities.

“She’s extremely smart on both sides of the ball,” Koclanes said before Dallas’ loss against Seattle. “What makes (Carrington) special is her ability to make big plays (on defense). She can be even better, I think, with a little more discipline…you never want to take away their instincts.”

Her basketball IQ on defense is a key to her elite abilities on that side of the ball, and she can improve even more with more coaching from those around her. Carrington is still a pest on defense, even in a new uniform, but her offensive game has evolved. Koclanes talked about her aggressiveness towards the rim, while noting she can improve on kickouts to her teammates.

“(Carrington)’s leading the league in shots at the rim,” he said. “She’s just relentless, putting pressure on the paint. (We) need her to continue to get there and get to the free throw line and finish at a higher clip…her next area is continuing to draw and see the sprays. She'll continue to get better with her reads as the season goes on.”

In addition to her aggressiveness towards the basket, Koclanes sees the potential in her to kick the ball to her teammates. With Bueckers returning from her absence, Carrington will have less pressure on her as the team searches for their second win of the season. As the Wings’ season is off to an unexpectedly poor start, they’ll have plenty of chances to turn it around thanks to their rising two-way star, Dijonai Carrington.