Latest news with #KarlieSamuelson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading Wings-Lynx big DiJonai Carrington trade
The post Grading Wings-Lynx big DiJonai Carrington trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Dallas Wings traded forward DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. While Carrington is set to head to Minnesota, the Wings acquired two players and a pick in return. Guard Karlie Samuelson, forward Diamond Miller and Minnesota's 2027 second round pick are all going to Dallas as part of the deal. Center Teaira McCowan was waived in order to complete the trade. Carrington was mentioned in trade rumors before the deal was announced Sunday. It seemed likely that she would be moved before the August 7 trade deadline. Sure enough, that is exactly what happened. ClutchPoints reported on Saturday that the Wings' primary focus is on a rebuild. How did the teams do in this specific trade, however? Lynx land DiJonai Carrington Carrington, a 27-year-old forward, is a quality defender. She's had an up and down overall season, though. The new Lynx forward is averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 35.4 percent from the field. After beginning the season as a consistent starter, Carrington began to come off the bench in recent weeks. She wasn't a big fan of the move, but was willing to do anything she could to help the team. The Wings' decision to not start her was surprising, however, as the defense has struggled and Carrington would have presented a defensive upgrade. Now, Carrington gets a fresh start with the best team in the WNBA. The Lynx's current 24-5 record is the best mark in the league and Minnesota projects to be a true championship contender. Minnesota already has a balanced roster but adding Carrington gives them yet another reliable veteran. Wings' rebuild continues Carrington is a good player, so it was fairly disappointing to see that the Wings failed to land a first round pick. The 2027 second round pick is respectable, but given the fact that Dallas is clearly planning for the future, the team probably should have landed either multiple second round picks or a first round pick. One has to imagine that Carrington's expiring contract led to the inability to receive a better draft pick. However, the Wings were able to acquire two players. Samuelson, 30, will be a free agent at the end of the season. She helps with the contract element of the trade. Miller has a club option for 2026 and will be a restricted free agent in 2027. The 24-year-old forward is likely the player that Dallas plans to make a part of the team's long-term future. In 2025, Miller is averaging 4.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. She is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from deep (averaging one three-point attempt per game). Miller's overall numbers don't jump off the page, but her shooting efficiency numbers are intriguing. She only recorded 9.7 minutes per outing with Minnesota this season, so she could emerge as a starting-caliber player if given an opportunity. Samuelson averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per outing to go along with a 33.3 field goal percentage and 35.3 three-point shooting percentage with the Lynx. However, adding her to the trade was indeed likely for salary-matching purposes as Samuelson is currently out with a foot injury. Grades The Wings could have done better, but this is not a terrible return by any means. The concern is that they only received one player who projects to be on the roster for the long-term future while the 2027 second round pick is not especially impressive. As mentioned, the fact that Carrington will be a free agent following the year surely played a role in the overall return. Still, it's difficult not to wonder if Dallas could have received a better trade return. For the Lynx, they give up two players who weren't receiving many minutes and a second round pick for a veteran forward with a proven track record. Sure, Carrington has been fairly inconsistent this season, but she is a player who can significantly impact a team's defense while helping out on the offensive end of the floor. Final trade grades: Lynx: A- Wings: B- Related: Candace Parker blasts players' salary demands after All-Star Game performance Related: WNBA security called after unexpected object interrupts Dream-Valkyries
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 WNBA trade deadline: Live updates, news, rumors as Mystics trade Brittney Sykes to Storm for Alysha Clark, first-round pick
The 2025 WNBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, as contenders look to make some final moves to solidify rosters ahead of a potential playoff run, while others look to acquire assets for the future. This deadline could prove to be a particularly interesting one, as a significant number of players will become free agents for the 2026 season in coordination with the start of a new CBA. A number of players negotiated their contracts through 2025 based on the timing of the current CBA, which runs through October 31, 2025. The 2025 deadline action tipped off on Sunday with a trade between the 24-5 Minnesota Lynx and 8-21 Dallas Wings. The Lynx acquired guard DiJonai Carrington, while the Wings acquired forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round draft pick. It marked the second time Carrington had been traded this year, having joined the Wings via trade back in February, just months after being named WNBA All-Defensive First Team and the WNBA's Most Improved Player. She'll offer immediate contributions for Minnesota as they look to fill an immediate and significant vacancy left by All-Star Napheesa Collier, who's expected to miss at least two weeks with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, heads to Dallas in hopes of a fresh start. After starting in each of her 32 games for the Lynx in her rookie season, Miller has yet to make her first start in 2025. Samuelson was waived after the trade, ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported. Tuesday, the action continued, as the Washington Mystics (13-15) traded All-Star guard Brittney Sykes to the Seattle Storm (16-13) in exchange for Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke and a 2026 first-round pick. Seattle currently sits sixth in the WNBA standings, acquiring Sykes, who's averaging 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. The financial ramifications of a new CBA could drastically reshape the landscape of the WNBA, with the salary cap, player salaries and revenue sharing topping the list of concerns in negotiations. Currently, the WNBA minimum salary for a player of 0-2 years of experience is at $66,079 per season, and players with 3+ years of experience earn a veteran minimum of $78,831; supermax contracts max out at $249,244. The salary cap for each team in 2025 is set at just over $1.5 million, per Her Hoops. Earlier this season, the Las Vegas Aces made a surprise move to acquire forward NaLyssa Smith from the Wings in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick, also her second time being traded in the 2025 calendar year. At 15-14, the Aces sit seventh overall in the league standings. Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from the 2025 WNBA trade deadline:
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Contender Acquires DiJonai Carrington In Blockbuster Trade
WNBA Contender Acquires DiJonai Carrington In Blockbuster Trade originally appeared on The Spun. After weeks of speculation, DiJonai Carrington has been traded to a clear championship contender. Carrington was traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Dallas Wings in February. The reigning WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year is averaging 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. Although she has proven to be a capable two-way player, it become evident that she wasn't a long-term fit for Dallas - especially once she was demoted to the bench. "It was hard for me just being that the whole point of me coming to Dallas was to expand my role. So, I feel like, not that coming off the bench means it's diminished, but sort of in a sense, a little bit," Carrington said. Well, the front office in Dallas has finally decided to end this experiment with Carrington. According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, the Minnesota Lynx have acquired Carrington in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second-round draft pick. Th Wings have also waived Teaira McCowan who was on a protected veteran contract. Just a few days ago, Wings head coach Chris Koclanes admit that all the rumors involving Carrington were impacting the locker room. "They sure do. But that's part of pro sports," Koclanes said. "When we're in that locker room, we're a team. We're focused on being great teammates and handling our business together." Now that Carrington is out of the picture, the Wings can focus on their rebuild without worrying about any outside distractions. As for the Lynx, they have truly solidified themselves as the team to beat this Contender Acquires DiJonai Carrington In Blockbuster Trade first appeared on The Spun on Aug 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA-leading Lynx acquire DiJonai Carrington from Wings for 2 players and a draft pick
WNBA-leading Minnesota acquired DiJonai Carrington in a trade Sunday from the Dallas Wings for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and the Lynx's second-round pick in 2027. Carrington averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20 games for the Wings, who acquired her from Connecticut in February as part of a four-team trade. This is the fifth WNBA season for the 5-foot-11 guard/forward. Miller, the No. 2 overall pick by the Lynx in the draft two years ago, is averaging 4.1 points a game this season. Since scoring 12.1 points a game as a rookie in 2023, the 6-3 forward from Maryland has averaged only 3.5 points in 47 games the past two seasons. Samuelson hasn't played since June 29 because of surgery on her left foot after playing only 16 games for the Lynx, who got the 6-foot guard from Washington in April. She played four games for Dallas in 2019. The Wings waived 6-7 center Teaira McCowan, a seven-year WNBA veteran, to make room on the roster for the additions. McCowan averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 games this season. Minnesota is 24-5 this season. The Wings, with No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers, have lost eight of their last 10 games and are 8-21. ___ AP WNBA: The Associated Press
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wings trade DiJonai Carrington to Lynx for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, draft pick
The Dallas Wings have traded guard DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx for forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson and Minnesota's 2027 second-round draft pick, the teams announced Sunday morning. The Wings are also waiving center Teaira McCowan to complete the trade. Carrington appeared in 20 games with the Wings this season, averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.05 steals. The 27-year-old was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player in 2024. Carrington, a second-round pick (No. 20) in the 2021 WNBA Draft, spent four seasons with the Connecticut Sun before being traded to Dallas on Feb. 2. In 151 career games with Dallas and Connecticut, Carrington has career averages of 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.95 steals in 20.2 minutes per game. Miller, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft, has appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 4.1 points while shooting .476 overall. She appeared in 78 games over three seasons with the Lynx. Samuelson, who was traded to Minnesota from the Washington Mystics in April, appeared in 16 games with the Lynx and averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists. The Lynx lead the WNBA with a 24-5 record. The Wings are in 11th place with an 8-21 record. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
