Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington underwent surgery for a midfoot sprain last week, and before surgery, she discussed her mindset in an impromptu TMZ interview.
“It’s disappointing — it’s super disappointing, especially with how everything ended up playing out,” Carrington said. “So, I’m definitely a little bit down right now.”
Carrington suffered her foot injury in the first round of the playoffs, in a Game 2 win over the Golden State Valkyries. She didn’t take much time to think about offseason pursuits since, as she cheered on the Lynx in their semi-finals matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. The Lynx — the number one seed all season long — ultimately fell to the Mercury in four games.
“I’ve been locked into basketball — even though I’ve been hurt for a week and a half now, I’ve been focused on my team, I’ve been focused on just trying to figure out how to maneuver and navigate this injury, and still be there for my teammates,” Carrington said.
DiJonai Carrington is looking forward as she preps for rehab
She didn’t disclose how long she’d be sidelined, but she did share that she expects to also focus on off-court endeavors as she rehabs.
“Now I’m thinking about how to maximize this next however long I’m not going to be able to play for — something on social media, whether it’s streaming, really tapping into that beauty side, YouTube videos, TikTok, I don’t know yet.”
This isn’t Carrington’s first rodeo recovering from surgery; she’s had six knee surgeries before the age of 25, including surgeries to repair a ruptured patellar tendon and torn ACLs. That’s helping her keep a positive perspective throughout.
Her tenure on the Lynx — albeit brief — has been uplifting. Carrington began the year with the Dallas Wings, but was traded to the Lynx in August. In Minnesota, she averaged 8.6 points per game and shot 45.5% from three, the highest mark of her career.
“I’ve been through injuries before, so I know what’s to come,” she said. “Seeing how quickly things changed for me this season — from being on the last-placed team to being on the first-placed team overnight, I know what God can do. I know what he’s capable of.”
