The Minnesota Lynx cruised past the Golden State Valkyries in round one of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, setting up a second-round matchup with the Phoenix Mercury. They will have to begin that series without guard DiJonai Carrington, who is expected to miss Game 1 with an ankle injury.
Carrington hurt her ankle in the series-clinching win over the Valkyries. The team has been monitoring her progress since and will not activate her for Game 1, according to ESPN's Kendra Andrews.
Andrews added that Carrington was seen in crutches during the week, suggesting the injury might potentially linger. Carrington missed a good portion of the regular season with a shoulder injury, but returned in time for the playoffs.
Carrington, the 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player, has not been able to sustain her offensive numbers from her breakout campaign. Regardless, she has been a staple of the Lynx's rotation as the team's best perimeter defender.
Since joining the Lynx from the Dallas Wings at the trade deadline, Carrington's numbers have decreased even further. Her efficiency, however, has skyrocketed. In her 11 regular-season games with Minnesota, Carrington hit a career-high 48.5 percent of her field goals, including an absurd 45.5 percent of her three-point attempts.
Lynx to face Mercury in WNBA playoffs without DiJonai Carrington
Without Carrington in the lineup, the Lynx will likely give Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman extended minutes. Williams only played 27.5 minutes in the team's two first-round games, with Hiedeman receiving 23.5 minutes off the bench. Hiedeman finished in second place in the 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award voting, which was ultimately won by Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon.
If Cheryl Reeve is keen on maintaining an eight-player rotation, which she did against the Valkyries, Maria Kliundikova could be in line for more minutes. Kliundikova only received four garbage-time minutes in the first round, but averaged 11 minutes per game over 34 regular-season outings.
The Lynx had three days of rest to evaluate their lineup since finishing off the Valkyries. Conversely, the Mercury enter the series off a quick turnaround, having just beaten the New York Liberty in Game 3 on Friday.
Regardless of how Reeve handles her rotation, the Lynx will miss Carrington's defensive efforts against Mercury guard Kahleah Copper. The 10-year veteran is ending a down year, averaging just 15.6 points in the regular season, but is still one of the most dynamic perimeter scorers in the league.
