DiJonai Carrington’s arrival with the Chicago Sky has been rough, marked by uncertainty. The 5-year pro has missed most of training camp and the two subsequent preseason games for the team due to a hardware removal surgery to address an injury concern she faced last year. As a result, the primary question around her camp was: When will Sky’s latest addition return to the court? Now, Carrington has shared an update herself.

Speaking during the Chicago Sky’s latest media availability session, Carrington shared an update on the uncertainty surrounding her surgery and its recovery. Although she didn’t mention her return timeline, Carrington’s inherent feelings about her fitness speak volumes.

“I don’t have a timeline that I’m going to publicize. However, my recovery is going very well,” she said. “I did have the hardware surgery a couple of weeks back. So, that’s why I wasn’t able to be here at the beginning of the camp. But it was very successful. I feel great. I do really feel good and strong. Like, if it was up to me, I would be out there. But it’s a comforting feeling how I feel right now, knowing that I have a couple of weeks to go still.”

“I’m good. I’m excited, and I mean it’s been September, that’s the last time I played a game. So, it’s been a long time. Obviously, I’m back in the boot for a little bit, but don’t let that fool you. I have not taken that many steps backwards.”

Carrington’s injury nemesis isn’t something new. In fact, she missed quite a few games courtesy of an injury-laden stretch last year. She suffered a rib injury in June, forcing her to miss 6 consecutive games, followed by a shoulder injury, leading to 4 more missed games. And the left foot injury that she picked up in September during the Golden State Valkyries turned out to be the final nail, and she’s still facing the consequences of it.

This injury forced her to miss the remainder of the season and prevented her from playing during the Unrivaled season. “It’s super disappointing, especially with how everything ended up playing out. So, I’m definitely a little down right now. I’m getting ready to get my surgery and all that,” Carrington said last year in October.

It’s also the reason that forced her to undergo the hardware removal surgery a few weeks back, which, as per journalist Annie Costabile, was a follow-up of the surgery that she went through due to the foot injury last year. Now, as per her assessment, she’s feeling quite ready and rearing up to go, but it’s clear that she isn’t medically fit to take the court for her new team. And it’s nothing unusual, as a typical recovery time from a hardware removal surgery takes 4-6 weeks. Hardware removal is a standard procedure that takes care of pain, irritation or infection caused by implants.

While DiJonai Carrington hasn’t mentioned a specific return date, the 4-6 weeks timeline suggests she may also be unavailable for a few games in the official season. This is quite a concern for the Chicago Sky, given the experience she brings to the table, and she is a dynamic guard to have off the bench. For instance, in the last season, when Carrington suffered an injury spree, her numbers didn’t drop.

She scored over 9.8 points per game, grabbed 4.0 rebounds, and recorded 1.1 steals despite not starting many games, an injury spree, and even after being traded from Dallas to Minnesota. This speaks volumes about her prowess and underscores the fact that the Sky will miss her immensely until her return. Amid it, a key member of the Chicago Sky front office has reflected on Carrington’s absence from the team’s active lineup.

Chicago Sky GM Addresses DiJonai Carrington’s Absence Due to Recovery

Notably, Carrington wasn’t the only player absent from the Chicago Sky’s training camp and preseason games. Azura Stevens also graced the list due to a knee injury. With these players absent and Skylar Diggins-Smith also missing the Atlanta Dream game due to an injury (day-to-day), the team lineup changed drastically in both games.

Speaking about these players’ absence from the lineup during the latest team media availability, Sky General Manager, Jeff Pagliocca stated that their return from injury recovery depends entirely on their confidence to get back on the court.

“It looks like we had another starting lineup in the back of that bench last night,” Pagliocca said. “And that said we also have a few great players that are going to hold it down until they’re back. We’re expecting everybody to make a full recovery. I’m not going to talk about a timeline because these players need to feel safe and confident when they return to play.”

Pagliocca further diverted his attention to Carrington’s situation, affirming the players’ stance of a positive recovery update. “Carrington is, we’ve been in close communication with her doctors and expecting a full recovery there too,” the Sky GM said.

The Chicago Sky hopes to have players like DiJonai Carrington and Azura Stevens back as soon as possible. Without the depth these top-class players add to the team’s rotation, the Sky have struggled massively in the preseason, losing both their games against the Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream. Both these games were immensely tightrope contests, and a little more depth with players like Carrington could have given the Sky the edge.

Even though they have a few positive conclusions to draw. For instance, Hailey Van Lith dropped a 20 against the Phoenix Mercury, and Sydney Taylor recorded 23 points against the Dream. But individual performances like these won’t help them much in the official season, which is set to tip off on May 9th against the Portland Fire.