The WNBA trade deadline hasn’t even arrived yet, but the Minnesota Lynx may have already come out on top by acquiring one of Paige Bueckers’ former teammates. DiJonai Carrington made her Lynx debut against the Seattle Storm and wasted no time making an impact. Scoring 13 points and grabbing four defensive rebounds in just 18 minutes, it was a performance that highlighted her skill and energy.

“This was one of the first times I’ve had fun playing basketball this season,” Carrington admitted after the game. Her words raise a compelling question: Did the Dallas Wings fail to maximize Carrington’s potential? WNBA legend Candace Parker seems to think so, and she isn’t shy about explaining why.

In her podcast Post Moves with Aliyah Boston, Parker said, “I compare this Dallas Wings DiJonai Carrington to Minnesota from Dallas trade to like the Cleveland Cavs when they acquired DeAndre Hunter.” The former WNBA player said a defensive player like Paige Bueckers’ former teammate joining the Lynx roster allows other players to play their natural game.

She also echoed a claim made by ESPN’s LaChina Robinson. “LaChina Robinson said this: Kayla McBride can go back to just focusing on shooting threes, and DiJonai Carrington will guard the best player on the other team. And if she’s having a great game, she’ll be in there in the closing minutes.” With Aliyah Boston nodding in agreement, it was evident that adding a defensive anchor only made the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx even more formidable. But the same cannot be said for her last team.

Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings lost a key defensive player

When news broke that DiJonai Carrington was traded to the Minnesota Lynx, it quickly sent shockwaves across the internet. The exchange came at the expense of forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round draft pick. The bold move from the Dallas Wings raised eyebrows, and for good reason. At face value, it didn’t quite add up.

Carrington had been the Wings’ third-best scorer and rebounder, averaging 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Yet despite her individual production, her inefficiencies in the half-court and the team’s defensive struggles during her minutes stood out. With Carrington on the floor, Dallas allowed 12.4 more points per 100 possessions than they scored.

Wings head coach Chris Koclanes has been in a constant state of experimentation with rotations. This is making it difficult for anyone outside of Paige Bueckers to find a consistent rhythm. It’s no wonder that morale was slipping. After all, being on a struggling team, especially one that now sits at 8–22 and riding a three-game losing streak, can weigh on even the most talented players. Even so, as Dallas GM Miller noted, “DiJonai was arguably the best guard defender in all the league in 2024.”

Now with the Lynx, Carrington has found the structure she needed. The Lynx clearly values her. They bring her in as the first wing off the bench every night and give her the freedom to play her game. That trust allows the rest of Minnesota’s roster to stay in their offensive groove while Carrington holds things down defensively. It’s a reminder of how much context matters. Sometimes, the same player can look completely different in a winning environment. And while Dallas received a sizeable return, this trade, in terms of actual on-court impact, seems to have delivered the most value to the Minnesota Lynx.