Lynx Coach Breaks Silence on DiJonai Carrington’s Season-Ending Injury

The Minnesota Lynx will be without standout guard DiJonai Carrington for the rest of the playoffs.

Sep 6, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard-forward DiJonai Carrington (3) signals to the referee from the bench in the second quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

After sweeping the Golden State Valkyries in the first round of the playoffs, the Minnesota Lynx are heading into a second-round series against the Phoenix Mercury.

The Lynx will have their hands full with the Mercury, as Minnesota's second-place MVP finisher, Napheesa Collier, faces off against Phoenix's third-place MVP finisher, Alyssa Thomas, and the superstar matchup will be an incredible viewer experience.

Carrington's injury

The Lynx, however, will be shorthanded for the rest of their playoff run, starting on Sunday's Game 1 against the Mercury. The Lynx announced that DiJonai Carrington will miss the rest of the season with a significant mid-foot sprain.

NEWS: DiJonai Carrington Injury Update.

Full release: https://t.co/pOmCG1UmEL

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) September 21, 2025

The Lynx traded for Carrington ahead of the trade deadline this season, and the defensive-minded guard has come up huge for Minnesota since then. Carrington missed the final four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury, and now this foot sprain will cut her playoff run with the team short.

Carrington came up huge in Minnesota's series-clinching Game 2 win over Golden State, dropping 11 points off the bench, including six in the fourth quarter on 2-2 shooting from beyond the arc, while playing tenacious defense.

Aug 10, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Cheryl Reeve on the impact of Carrington's injury

Ahead of Game 1 against the Mercury, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about Carrington's injury and how it impacts the team for the rest of the postseason.

"It was a big blow to her personally and certainly to us," Reeve said (via Andrew Dukowitz). "Obviously, we know it’s part of the game, but when it happens it’s tough."

Cheryl Reeve on the lose of DiJonai Carrington to injury

“It was a big blow to her personally and to us. Obviously we know it’s part of the game but when it happens it’s tough” pic.twitter.com/RWwOZebzKI

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) September 21, 2025

Carrington missing the rest of the postseason is a huge blow to the Lynx, but the team has enough firepower to make up for her absence. The Lynx had the league's best defense throughout the 2025 season, and while she played a role in that toward the end of the regular season, they still have plenty of playmakers on both ends of the floor.

The most significant factor of Carrington's injury is that their backcourt depth takes a major hit, and the rest of their guard room will simply have to play more to make up for her absence.

The Lynx will get their first look at the postseason without Carrington on Sunday afternoon, as they host the Mercury for Game 1 of the semifinals at 5:00 p.m. ET. Of course, the Lynx will have to take care of business without Carrington in the lineup.

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