Even with the favorite to win the 2025 WNBA Most Valuable Player award missing on the floor, the Minnesota Lynx got the job done on Wednesday, as they escaped with a 91-87 victory over the Seattle Storm on the road at Climate Pledge Arena. 

Without star forward Napheesa Collier, who is nursing an injury, the Lynx survived the challenge of the home team and gave Minnesota newcomer DiJonai Carrington an excellent start to her tenure with the team.

The 27-year-old Carrington was traded by the Dallas Wings to the Lynx ahead of the 2025 WNBA trade deadline in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a pick in the second round of the 2027 WNBA draft. Carrington did not exactly have a fantastic stint with the Wings, who acquired her via a trade with the Connecticut Sun last February. 

She was taken off the starting unit after only 12 games with Dallas, and in 20 games (13 starts) with the Wings, Carrington averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals. While she still provided numbers across the board, she shot just 26.0 percent from 3-point distance and had more turnovers per game (2.5) than assists.  Those numbers were enough to raise doubts about whether Carrington would be a net-plus for the high-powered Lynx unit.

But at least in her debut for the Lynx, Carrington showed that she can bring a lot to the table for Minnesota.

Against the Storm, Carrington came off the bench and fired 13 points on a 5-for-7 shooting from the floor while connecting on her only take from deep. Additionally, she grabbed four rebounds, dished out two assists, and came away with two steals and a block in 18 minutes of all-around service for the Lynx.

Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve is appreciative of the Carrington’s abilities, and she let everyone know it after the win over Seattle.

“More than anything, we wanted her to play without thinking and do simple things,” Reeve said of Carrington (h/t Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage). “The things that are innate to her are to compete, whether it’s offensively or defensively. Live in your space, don’t play outside of yourself… her block, running in transition that’s her, that’s the epitome of she’s never going to quit.”