DiJonai Carrington, the star who poked Caitlin Clark in the eye during last season’s playoffs, is set to miss the rest of year after sustaining a ‘significant’ mid-foot injury
01:32 ET, 22 Sep 2025Updated 01:33 ET, 22 Sep 2025
DiJonai Carrington will miss the rest of the year with a left foot injury she sustained against the Golden State Valkyries(Image: Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
DiJonai Carrington is set to miss the rest of the playoffs after sustaining a left foot injury, ending a year that saw her start the season with the Dallas Wings and finish with the Minnesota Lynx.
Carrington was traded to the Wings before the start of the 2025 WNBA season, being paired with her partner NaLyssa Smith in Dallas, playing alongside star guard Paige Bueckers. In August, the 27-year-old was traded to the Lynx for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round pick.
That said, Carrington will join Caitlin Clark on the shelf, with the two stars having sustained season-ending injuries. Of note, both Carrington and Clark are known for a spat they had last season, which saw the former poke the latter in the eye after a heated moment.
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The Lynx announced that Carrington would miss the rest of the season after she sustained a mid-foot sprain in Game 2 against the Golden State Valkyries.
“After undergoing an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Carrington was evaluated by team physician Dr. Elena Jelsing at Mayo Clinic Square, where a significant mid-foot sprain was confirmed,” the team announced. “Carrington will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and further updates on her progress will be provided when available.”
Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve spoke to reporters about the impact Carrington’s injury will have on a Minnesota squad looking to win another championship. The Lynx will be missing a top defensive stopper with Carrington on the shelf.
Caitlin Clark (R) and DiJonai Carrington (L) had their battles, with the latter hitting the former in the face last season(Image: Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
“I mean as you’d expect, you know, it was a big blow to her personally, certainly to us,” Reeve told reporters. “You know, as we know it’s part of the game, but obviously when it happens, it’s tough.”
The news of Carrington’s season-ending injury comes just over a year after she and Clark were involved in a brief fracas.
During a playoff matchup last season, Carrington, then with the Connecticut Sun, swiped for the ball when she inadvertently caught Clark in the face. The incident caused the Indiana Fever star to have a black eye, which left WNBA fans divided on the intensity of the game and Carrington’s aggressiveness.
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Afterward, the star downplayed the incident, stating that her actions weren’t intentional and her hands just happened to hit Clark in the face. “I don’t even know why I would intend to hit anybody in the eye,” she said at the time.
“That doesn’t even make sense to me. … But no, I didn’t. I didn’t know I hit her, actually. I was trying to make a play on the ball, and I guess I followed through, and I hit her. So, obviously, it’s never intentional. That’s not even the type of player that I am.”
Even Clark downplayed the kerfuffle, telling reporters that they should rewatch the back and forth and make their own determination. “It wasn’t intentional by any means. Just watch the play,” Clark said.
Both the Lynx and the Fever have 1-0 series leads over the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces, respectively.