By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
The Dallas Wings are clearly in rebuild mode after trading guard DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a 2027 second round draft pick.
Carrington won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2024 and is one of the league’s best two-way players, who will certainly help Minnesota achieve their championship aspirations.
“It takes heart to play on both sides of the ball, and I feel like something for me that I can always control is the defensive side of the ball,” Carrington said. “You might have games where your shot’s not falling or where just something’s not going your way on offense or you’re not getting touches. You never know what the scenario is, but you can always impact the game on defense, and that’s just making it hard for the other team.
“It doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet in steals or in blocks or rebounds or whatever, but making it difficult for your opponent is something that I can actually control every single night,” she continued. “So I like to control the controllables.”
Carrington’s veteran presence will be missed in a young Wings locker room. She gracefully took rookie guards Paige Bueckers, JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James under her wing (no pun intended) and Dallas will look to continue laying the foundation for a successful future.
That future starts with Bueckers, who has proven to be the absolute truth and worthy of her No. 1 overall selection. She also tied Caitlin Clark’s league record as the fastest player to reach 300 points and 100 assists.
Through just 23 professional games, Bueckers is already one of the league’s brightest stars and continues to get better each time she steps out on the court.
Bueckers is averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game this season.
The Wings are also seeing significant growth from rookie guards Quinerly and James. Quinerly has held her own as the team’s new starting point guard and James provides instant offense off the bench.
The trio of Bueckers, Quinerly, and James gives the Wings a bright future at the guard position, as all three have the ability to produce at a high-level on both ends of the floor.
“Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly have been the best part of watching the otherwise disappointing Wings. One can assume some of the veterans won’t be back in Dallas next season, but this guard trio will. Their energy and hustle can be one of the foundations for a new-look Wings team in 2026. How they play the rest of this season will help determine that,” ESPN’s Michael Voepel wrote.
Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale are continuing to find their rhythm together, as the Wings’ dynamic backcourt could be the foundation of something special in Dallas.
The Wings and their two star guards showcased the potential of what could be a special backcourt combo for years to come—defeating the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty 92-82 on July 28 at College Park Center.
With a renewed sense of momentum and a promising young core leading the way, the Wings are laying the foundation for a brighter future—starting with how they finish this season.
