{"id":45585,"date":"2025-07-07T09:06:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T09:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/45585\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T09:06:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T09:06:09","slug":"what-happened-to-dijonai-carrington-is-she-playing-against-phoenix-mercury-tonight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/45585\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to DiJonai Carrington? Is She Playing Against Phoenix Mercury Tonight?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming off a 98-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury in their last outing, the Dallas Wings now sit at 6\u201313. Sure, that record isn\u2019t eye-catching, but it\u2019s worth noting that five of those six wins have come in their last seven games. So, yes, there\u2019s been progress. Still, the mounting injuries haven\u2019t been kind to them \u2013 leaving everyone wondering: how long can they keep this up?<\/p>\n

How are injuries mounting for the Dallas Wings?<\/p>\n

That second-to-last win came without Wings\u2019 starting point guard Paige Bueckers, who was sidelined for injury management. On top of that, Tyasha Harris has already been ruled out for the season after undergoing a successful procedure on her left knee. So while the Wings are beginning to flash glimpses of their dominant potential, it\u2019s clear the path ahead isn\u2019t smooth.<\/p>\n

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It all comes to the surface as DiJonai Carrington, who is like a \u201csister\u201d to the rookie and a steady presence on the court, remains physically with a rib injury she suffered on June 20 while taking a charge late in the game against the Connecticut Sun. And to make matters worse, emotionally, Carrington is again navigating a tough stretch. NaLyssa Smith, her girlfriend, who had spent the past couple of months with the Wings, was recently traded.<\/p>\n

Ever since she\u2019s missed five consecutive games<\/a> and the upcoming game against Mercury will be no different. So while Coach Koclanes shared, \u201cShe\u2019s improving daily,\u201d no firm return date has been set. But what makes the case worse is that she\u2019s not alone on the injury list! Accompanying her is Arike Ogunbowale, who injured her left thumb during the June 28 win over the Washington Mystics and missed the matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. \u201cShe hurt her hand\u2026 just being extremely cautious and waiting for more news from the medical team on what that looks like long term,\u201d Koclanes explained. So, she is also on track to miss the rematch.<\/p>\n

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The Dallas Wings released their injury report for Monday\u2019s game in Phoenix against the Mercury.<\/p>\n

Arike Ogunbowale (left thumb) and DiJonai Carrington (rib) are both OUT.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) July 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Joining her on the sidelines would be Maddy Siegrist, who\u2019s been out since June 11 after being diagnosed with a right tibial plateau fracture. She\u2019s played in only 11 games this season and saw her team win only once. Well, her initial estimate was 6\u20138 weeks for bone healing, though recovery could stretch to 3\u20134 months if the meniscus is involved. But, on a positive note, she\u2019s now off crutches and has started shooting, although she\u2019s not yet cleared for full practice.<\/p>\n

So yes, the injury bug has hit the Wings hard as four players are currently sidelined, which is a brutal reality for a team trying to maintain consistency. Still, Coach Koclanes remains optimistic. \u201cWe\u2019re just waiting on word from the medical staff,\u201d he said. \u201cHopeful on a couple, so we\u2019ll see who we have. We\u2019ll do our best with what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it all came to light as the Wings hit the court on Saturday for practice, eager to push the pace and run through their sets. The energy was high, but a few issues still surfaced, particularly when it came to generating clean high-low looks. That, in part, stemmed from the strategic tweaks the team has been testing. Instead of consistently setting full screens, they\u2019ve been experimenting with ghost screens and shifting their focus toward executing out of a 2-3 zone. It\u2019s all part of the ongoing process of fine-tuning their system and growing more comfortable with the adjustments they\u2019ve been working on.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little bit of everything,\u201d said head coach Chris Koclanes. \u201cGetting them moving, establishing tempo, and just getting our small group more and more comfortable playing together out of common actions. It\u2019s all about developing chemistry within the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, while three key contributors, Nai, Arike, and Siegrist, were limited to observing practice rather than participating, Wings got some really good cards to play!<\/p>\n

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The recent Dallas Wings practice showed good signs<\/p>\n

After opening the season with a shaky frontcourt and limited guard depth, the Wings are finally finding some structure. Teaira McCowan, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Luisa Geisels\u00f6der are all active, joining Li Yueru to give the Wings a solid rotation of bigs. Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers, JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James continued to impress in the practice, building on the strong performances they showed against the Mercury.<\/p>\n

\"article-image\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

via Imago<\/p>\n

After practice, Bueckers couldn\u2019t hide her excitement about Geisels\u00f6der\u2019s return. \u201cHaving that size and having Lu back as a playmaker out of the pick-and-roll helps a lot,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s the short roll or just giving me a better target, it makes everything easier.\u201d Sure, there\u2019s still polish to be added, but with the pieces they\u2019ve got, breaking a blitz might just become their new party trick.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the evolution of the Wings\u2019 frontcourt has really started to pay off. With some actual height and finesse now camped out at the four and five, Dallas suddenly has more than one escape hatch, especially when things get dicey in short-roll situations. \u201cWith who we\u2019re starting now \u2014 Luisa and Li \u2014 both are capable poppers and can hit that 17-footer in the short roll,\u201d Koclanes said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got gravity and confidence in those shots. Myisha is more of a pocket playmaker \u2014 she can catch and attack downhill. And Teaira, even though she\u2019s more of a long roll option, has more touch and handle than people realize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, we saw that in Thursday\u2019s win over Phoenix, as both Li and Luisa continued their chemistry experiment in the paint. The offense? Still finding its rhythm. But with two genuine bigs holding it down, Dallas has gained more control inside, cleaner high-low looks, and a sturdier grip on the glass. Sure, they shot a chilly 2-of-14 combined, but stats don\u2019t tell the whole story. Yueru logged a tidy double-double with 12 points and 11 boards, while Geisels\u00f6der added four apiece in points and rebounds.<\/p>\n

But, that\u2019s not the only thing the Wings relied upon, as with the roster already stretched thin due to injuries, the Wings signed forward Liatu King to ensure roster stability. King, who appeared in 12 games for the Los Angeles Sparks this season under a hardship contract, averaged 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds. She was selected No. 28 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft by the Sparks but joins Dallas on a rest-of-the-season contract. Though King logged just four minutes in her Wings debut, picking up a personal foul, it\u2019s clear she\u2019s here to support the team however she can.<\/p>\n

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