You know that thing where just having someone around makes it easier to get things done? There’s actually a name for it: body doubling. It’s a popular technique, especially among folks with ADHD, but honestly, it applies to all of us. Sometimes, it’s just easier to focus when you know someone’s in it with you. And when that someone is a person you trust, maybe even love, their absence can be felt in ways that ripple through your day. Now, what does any of that have to do with basketball? Or Paige Bueckers? Or Dallas Wings?
Well, if you ask WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, this might explain a lot about the DiJonai Carrington trade. It may not have been about effort or skill but simply about who wasn’t there.
But before we get into that….let’s go back to where it all began. To start the season, the Dallas Wings brought back just three players from last year’s roster. After finishing 9-31 in 2024, it was clear the franchise needed a shakeup. So, they made sweeping changes, starting at the top. First came veteran coach Curt Miller, brought in as general manager. Then the Wings appointed USC assistant Chris Koclanes as their new head coach. With a fresh front office in place, the rebuild began immediately. Dallas drafted Bueckers with the No. 1 pick and pulled off a blockbuster four-team trade with Connecticut, Phoenix, and Indiana that landed them DiJonai Carrington, Tyasha Harris, NaLyssa Smith, and future draft picks.
There was optimism. Even legend Sheryl Swoopes bought into the hype. “Starting the season off…because I was one of them, with the moves they made in free agency, I was like, ‘Okay, Dallas is going to make some noise this year.’ Paige Bueckers, Arike, you bring in NaLyssa Smith, DiJonai. On paper, they had both the backcourt and frontcourt covered. But as Swoopes pointed out, “It didn’t go as planned.”
Bueckers has been doing her thing, averaging 18.2 points and 5.5 assists per game in a standout rookie season. She’s already earned Rookie of the Month honors twice and secured a spot on the All-Star team. Bueckers leads all rookies in both scoring and assists, with several impressive outings featuring 20+ points, 5+ assists. But as a team Wings have just won 8 games and lost 22.
A look at the @WNBA standings as the playoffs push gets going pic.twitter.com/gBjYSTwPNd
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) August 6, 2025
To add to it, the pieces Dallas brought to build around her are shipped out. The first big move came when NaLyssa Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Aces. And while that might have been a strategic move, it may have affected more than just rotations. Swoopes discussed what might have happened there. “I’m looking at NaLyssa leaving first, right? Going to Vegas. You have to wonder how that move affected DiJonai, right?” the legend said. “She’s like, ‘My boo is gone.’ And no, that’s not something that they’ve talked about, but you have to wonder like how did that mentally affect her? She was injured. Is she playing any differently than she was when Nai was there?”
Swoopes suggested that even Miller might be seeing the writing on the wall, “So Curt’s probably, I don’t know, thinking like, ‘Alright, this is not working anymore and Nai is not happy. So let’s see what we can get for her.’” Hence they trade her to the Lynx, too. Just like that, two of their biggest offseason acquisitions were gone. But so are there playoff chances.
With the Wings sitting near the bottom of the standings, reality has set in. “If you’re Dallas, right, chances of you making the playoffs are slim to none,” Swoopes admitted in “The Women’s Hoop Show.” With 14 games left, Dallas would need to win at least seven, many against top-tier teams, to claw back into playoff contention. That would require a .438 win rate, far above their current .276. It’s not impossible. But it’s also unlikely.
So now, the Wings seem to be pivoting toward the future. In exchange for Smith, they received a 2027 first-round pick. In exchange for Nai, they got young talent Diamond Miller, and a 2027 second-rounder. Given the depth of upcoming WNBA draft classes, this could be a crucial haul. The Wings went all-in on a fast rebuild. And while it hasn’t paid off this year, the long game might just be their best bet. So for the time being, the Lynx-Dallas trade feels like a win for both sides, even if the Lynx and Wings are headed down very different paths this season.
Paige Bueckers’ former teammate might be exactly what the Lynx needed
The Minnesota Lynx aren’t hiding their intentions, they’re in full championship mode. After feeling “robbed” last season, as head coach Cheryl Reeve put it, the Lynx have returned in 2025 locked in and leading the WNBA standings at the start of August. But even at the top, they’re still looking for edges. That’s where DiJonai Carrington comes in.
In a bold trade deadline move, Minnesota acquired Carrington from the Dallas Wings, sending away one of their few young assets to land last season’s Most Improved Player and an All-Defensive First Team selection. It was a clear signal: the Lynx aren’t playing for next year, they’re playing for the title now.
Carrington brings everything Reeve values – tenacious defense, smart ball-handling, and the poise that comes from postseason experience. With Karlie Samuelson out for the season, Reeve had leaned heavily on Natisha Hiedeman and Jessica Shepard off the bench. Carrington not only fills that void but elevates it.
A 5’11″ defensive menace, Carrington fits seamlessly into a Lynx team already stacked with elite perimeter defense. She has the athleticism and discipline to match up with nearly any guard in the league. Carrington’s excitement was clear during her first media availability in Minnesota. “I’m super excited to be here,” she said. “I’m blessed that they saw that I could be an asset and there was a mutual respect there.”
Also, the timing couldn’t be better. With superstar Napheesa Collier out for two weeks following an ankle injury vs LV Aces, the Lynx needed a veteran presence to help steady the ship. Currently holding a six-and-a-half-game lead over the Mercury in the West and five-and-a-half games ahead of the Liberty in the overall standings, the Lynx are firmly in control.
But they know better than anyone that titles aren’t handed out, they’re earned.
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