Uncasville, Connecticut— Dijonai Carrington WNBA She was named Most Valuable Player on Wednesday and accepted the trophy ahead of Game 2 of the Connecticut Suns vs. Indiana Fever at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The race for Most Improved Player was relatively close, with Carrington receiving 28 of 67 votes from the media, followed by Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearika Hamby in second with 18 votes and Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carlton in third with 15 votes.
Carrington finished the season averaging career-highs in 12.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 29.6 minutes per game. She also established herself as one of the league's best defenders, often in the toughest defensive matchups of the game.
Carrington previously told SB Nation that an injury kept him from practicing during the offseason and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to return to Connecticut this season, but once training camp began, Carrington saw an opportunity to play a larger role with the team and he took advantage.
“Once practice started, I just felt more confident that this was my role. Once I was able to move, I was ready to jump in,” Carrington said. “My basketball game was back on track, I was feeling good, and you all know at the start of the season I was ready to play. My first game was less than a month after I was able to run.”
Before Carrington accepted the trophy, fans rose to their feet to celebrate her successful 2024 season. As her highlight video was played, Suns veteran DeWanna Bonner gestured for fans to stand and Carrington's team nudged her in celebration.
Suns head coach Stephanie White said the team congratulated Carrington on her achievement earlier in the day.
“Everybody is very proud of her hard work and consistency,” said White, who has advocated for Carrington for the award on multiple occasions.
Stephanie White said the team congratulated DiJonai Carrington on winning Newcomer of the Year.
“Everybody's very proud of her effort and her consistency. She's taken a more traditional path in terms of what it's like to be a rotation player and the path to being in the rotation.” pic.twitter.com/5cVT18IGza
— Noah Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) September 25, 2024
In addition to the trophy, Carrington will also receive a cash prize of $5,150.
“Any award you win in this league is special because this is a league with the best players in the world, especially with what I've been through with injuries,” Carrington said after being named a finalist for the award a few weeks ago. “I've had to really work hard to earn this role on this team.”
