"Trash play from a dirty player" - WNBA fans condemn DiJonai Carrington's "reckless" plays in loss to Storm

Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington was hit with her third flagrant foul of the season during Tuesday’s 83-77 loss to the Seattle Storm, after a hard contest on Skylar Diggins. Carrington now leads the league in flagrant fouls for the year.

The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter, with under four minutes remaining and the Wings trailing by five. As Diggins drove for a fastbreak layup, Carrington made contact with her head, though Diggins still completed the play.

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Some WNBA fans on X criticized DiJonai Carrington's play, calling it overly aggressive and unnecessary during the loss that dropped the Wings to a league-worst 1-7 record.

“Some really reckless plays from Carrington in this game,” one fan said.

“That is not physicality, that’s a trash play from a dirty player who doesn’t belong on the court,” another added.

Here are more fan reactions.

Despite the criticism, Carrington led Dallas in the loss with 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in 16 points, while Arike Ogunbowale struggled, shooting just 4-for-16 for eight points.

For the Storm, Gabby Williams finished with 18 points, and Nneka Ogwumike added 14 points and nine boards.

DiJonai Carrington wants to lead Wings with her defense

Ahead of the season, DiJonai Carrington emphasized her commitment to leading the Wings on the defensive end during her first year with the team.

“My goal is to be the head of our defense,” Carrington said (per Yard Barker). “I want everyone to level up on that side of the ball. We’re trying to completely flip the script.

“It’s inevitable. I’m gonna be the head on the defensive side. Everyone’s gonna have off days shooting. We’re not always gonna get the calls. But the one thing we can stand on every single game is our defense.”

DiJonai Carrington, who won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2024 with the Connecticut Sun, has averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game across eight games with Dallas.

She said she would take on more on-ball duties this season:

“They’re pushing me to pick up the ball more. Usually I’ve been guarding the wings, so I’ve been able to run back as opposed to picking up 94 feet. Now they’re just reminding me: pick up every single time. No matter who I’m in with, I’m trying to pick up the point guard — and I think that’ll help me stay in shape.”

Next up for the Wings: matchups against the LA Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro