Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have understandably commanded much of the national spotlight during this seminal 2024 campaign, but the Connecticut Sun are not sympathetic to this feel-good story. They are intent on crafting their own compelling narrative in the WNBA Playoffs. The team made a strong statement on Sunday, and DiJonai Carrington helped put an exclamation point on it.

Following a fairly competitive three quarters, Connecticut ascended into another gear in the final frame and left Indy in the dust. Trade acquisition Marina Mabrey erupted for 27 points, two-way force Alyssa Thomas posted a triple-double and six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner totaled 22 points and two blocks to propel the Sun to a 93-69 win in Game 1 of the opening round. Carrington made a sizable impact in her own right, though, and produced one of the standout moments of the day.

When Clark launched a splendid pass to Temi Fagbenle from the other end of the court minutes into the fourth quarter, Carrington came from behind and emphatically blocked the attempted layup. The fourth-year guard electrified an already fried-up home crowd in the Mohegan Sun Arena and allowed momentum to stay firmly in her team's favor. She averages only 0.2 swats per game in her career, so it is to safe to say that diehard fans were quite surprised by the notable play.

In fact, Carrington herself seemed to be taken aback when watching the block. “Omgggggggggahhhhhhhh,” she posted on X.

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Can DiJonai Carrington, Sun maintain their intensity vs. Fever?

DiJonai Carrington looks to be locked in during the most important time of the year. In addition to her big block, she recorded 14 points and five rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. The 2021 second-round draft pick might get overshadowed by some of her teammates, but she is a key component of this title contender.

If the Sun are going to finally capture a championship, they will need DiJonai Carrington to remain a valuable contributor on both ends of the floor. Timely shot-blocking and efficient shooting will help ensure that Caitlin Clark and the Fever are nothing more than a nice story in 2024. Game 2 tips off on Wednesday at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.