Lynx Make Final DiJonai Carrington Decision for Game 1 vs Valkyries

The Minnesota Lynx officially declared DiJonai Carrington's status for Sunday's playoff opener

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

The Minnesota Lynx are beginning their quest for a fifth WNBA championship in their postseason opener against the No. 8 seed Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, and a significant player will be returning to their lineup at just the right time. 

Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington is officially listed as active, marking her return from a four-game absence after suffering a left shoulder subluxation suffered on Sept. 1 against her former team, the Dallas Wings. The Lynx went just 2-2 in the final four games without Carrington, although both of those wins did come against the Valkyries. 

Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington (3) works past Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Carrington has averaged 8.6 points per game in 11 appearances with the Lynx, making one start. Her average is slightly down from the 10.4 points per game she averaged in Dallas this season, although she started nearly two-thirds of her games there. The Lynx went 7-3 in Carrington’s first 10 games there, showing she’s a welcome addition to an elite lineup.

Minnesota earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a remarkable 34-10 record, setting the regular-season wins record while finishing four games ahead of the next closest team. That gap would have been even further, too, had the Lynx not taken their foot off the gas to preserve health toward the end of the season while the Aces and Dream remained red-hot. 

Facing The Valkyries

The Valkyries tumble from the sixth seed to the eighth seed in the final days of the regular season means that the Lynx will face off against a first-year expansion franchise with very little collective playoff experience in the opening round. The Lynx avoid a matchup with more experienced teams in the Storm or Fever, but the Valkyries present some challenges too. 

The team’s most valuable asset isn’t a player, it’s the coach. Natalie Nakase, who has navigated the team through its first season in the WNBA. By selecting a strong roster during an always challenging and often unforgiving expansion draft, to leading the team through various trying stretches, Nakase earned the AP Coach of the Year award and will likely win the league award.

MIN vs. GSV BY THE NUMBERS 📊

The Lynx’s historic ball movement meets the Valkyries’ No. 1 defense and league-leading threes. Two very different blueprints collide in Round 1. Tip at 1PM/ET on ESPN!

WNBA Playoffs | @Google pic.twitter.com/l0PxgBUW2k

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 14, 2025

That’s not to say the roster is weak, however. The team received significant contributions from stars Kayla Thornton (14.0 ppg) and Veronica Burton (11.9 ppg), as well as Tiffany Hayes (11.7 ppg) and Janelle Saluan (11.3 ppg). Burton was also an AP award winner, taking home the Most Improved Player, and like Nakase she is the frontrunner for the official league award.

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