Paige Bueckers’ Teammate Suffers Harsh Reality Over Her “Dirty” Rant From National Analyst

When a primarily defensive player goes from averaging 17 minutes off the bench to over 30 in a year, a shift is inevitable. More minutes mean more responsibility and more physicality. Especially when the coach openly says they couldn’t care less about her 37.8% shooting, the pressure to bring her A1 game only intensifies. “We’re fine with the offense ebbing and flowing a little bit, because we know how much we need her on the defensive end,” Stephanie White had said while Carrington was still under her wing. Now, both are with different teams, but Carrington hasn’t let those words fade. Even if it means risking trouble every time she steps on the court, something White knew all too well last season. And now, it’s Koclanes seeing it up close.

“Yall fAnS swear i’m such a dirty player. I’m SO over this narrative bc if u really know bball, u know I jus play hard asf & never give up on a play. &yup, we challenged the last couple flagrants & got em rescinded bc I’m ALWAYS tryna make a play on the ball nun more, nun less.🩷” Those were the words of Paige Bueckers’ teammate DiJonai Carrington after fans labeled her a dirty player following an altercation with Seattle guard Skylar Diggins. Now, if you have been following Carrington since last year, you would know it is nothing new. Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx, even Unrivaled Laces BC, Chicago Sky, and now the Seattle Storm. She has burst out against each of these teams.

The latest drama began during Tuesday’s game between the Paige Bueckers-less Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm. In the fourth quarter, DiJonai Carrington picked up a flagrant-1 foul after a defensive play. As Skylar Diggins raced toward the basket on a fast break, Carrington chased her down and went up to block the shot from behind. Unfortunately, she made contact with Diggins’ head, knocking her hard to the floor. But that wasn’t the only incident that led to fans calling her out.

Another tense moment saw Carrington unintentionally injure Storm’s Gabby Williams. As Williams rose for a shot, Carrington leaped to contest, but that proved to be costly! She ended up landing awkwardly in Williams’ space, causing Williams to twist her ankle on Carrington’s foot.

Unsurprisingly, the incidents sparked a huge uproar online and Rachel DeMita gave her take as well. On her YouTube channel, she responded to DiJonai’s tweet, saying, “So it’s actually not a good sign to me that she says that her flagrant fouls were rescinded because she’s always trying to make a play on the ball…. I’m sorry DiJonai and I don’t know you personally, both of these plays were reckless and you hurt both players… You’re either a reckless player or you’re not a good defender. And a lot of people say that DJ Carrington is a great defender, but this is proving that she’s actually not a great defender because if you’re a great defender then you know how to contort your body to get a good block.”

This isn’t the first time Carrington has been called out for being a reckless defender. Earlier this season, she received a flagrant 1 for a very similar foul. That time, it was Lynx forward Jessica Shepard who got hit in the head while driving to the basket. Then, you must remember Kate Martin’s absolutely annoyed expression from the Mist vs Laces game at how Carrington guarded her. And everyone knows the eye poke she gave to Caitlin Clark during the playoffs last season.

She can sure get feisty at times and it isn’t limited to how she plays her defense on the court.

Oct 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (4) holds back guard DiJonai Carrington (21) during the second half of game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

This comes just a week after she had called out a referee in the Sky game for pulling in a security guard between them when she was just trying to have a “civil conversation”. She had called it a case of microaggression, writing, “Mind you, he called the “sEcUrItY” over there”. Then, there was her outburst after a hard foul by Kayla McBride, so much so that she had to be held back by her teammates.

But there’s no denying that Carrington is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Last season with the Connecticut Sun, she averaged 2 stocks per game (steals + blocks), playing a key role in holding opponents to the fewest points per game in the league. She also took home the Most Improved Player of the Year award. Carrington averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game earning her a well-deserved spot on the All-Defensive First Team . So while she might be reckless at times, there’s no denying that she is one of the best defenders in the league.

Though Paige Bueckers’ teammate has faced a lot of criticism for her aggressive style, one WNBA player has stepped up to defend her.

Marina Mabrey defends Paige Bueckers’ teammate

After the incident, Marina Mabrey was among the few who stood up for Carrington. The Connecticut Sun star and the Wings guard shared an intense rivalry during their college days and early WNBA careers. But when Mabrey was traded to Connecticut by the Chicago Sky, their bond grew stronger!

Mabrey sent a short but powerful message to her former teammate, urging fans to stop attacking her. On X, she wrote, “Don’t listen to then Nai .”

Also, it is not that Carrington herself hasn’t spoken about the apparent criticism she receives. “They be real loose at the mouth,” Carrington said of her critics on Reese’s podacst. “I know they think it’s trolls, but it’s not just trolls. It be people that we see in real life.”

Well, it’s always great to see players have each other’s backs, but it’s tough to watch when reckless plays lead to injuries. What DiJonai did was clearly risky, and most of the time, players don’t mean any harm. Whether you think Carrington is a dirty player or not is up to you, but her abilities as a defender can never be in doubt! Her presence in the Dallas team is extremely important for Paige Bueckers and co.

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