DiJonai Carrington named 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player: Sun star earns honor after career year in Connecticut

Carrington blossomed into one of the league's best perimeter defenders and averaged a career-high 12.7 points per game

By Jack Maloney

Sep 25, 2024 at 2:51 pm ET • 1 min read

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Connecticut Sun guard Dijonai Carrington has been named 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player, the league announced Wednesday. Now in her fourth season, Carrington became a full-time starter for the Sun this season and blossomed into one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Carrington averaged career-highs across the board with 12.7 points, five rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, but her play on the defensive end is what really stood out and earned her this award. While always a solid defensive player, Carrington took her game to a whole new level on that side of the ball this season.

From rising star to unstoppable force 🌟 DiJonai Carrington is your 2024 WNBA Kia Most Improved Player 🏆

2023: 8.3 PTS | 2.9 REB | 0.6 STL | 1.3 AST
2024: 12.7 PTS | 5.0 REB | 1.6 STL | 1.6 AST#KiaMIP | @Kia pic.twitter.com/mbArvMKmTr
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 25, 2024

Right from opening night, when she helped force No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark into 10 turnovers, it was clear that Carrington had made strides, and she never looked back. She finished ninth in the league in steals per game and had three games with at least five of them, which was more than any other player.

Thanks in large part to Carrington's effort at the point of attack, the Sun had the best defense in the league. In fact, their 94.1 defensive rating was the best by any team in the last three seasons. They also led the league in opponent turnover rate (20.9), which was also the best mark by any team in the last three seasons.

Behind that defense, the Sun set a franchise record with 28 wins and earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They are up 1-0 in their first-round series with the Indiana Fever, and can complete a two-game sweep and advance to the semifinals with a win in Game 2 on Wednesday.

As expected, the Most Improved Player vote was closely contested and featured a wide range of candidates. Unlike MVP, where voters rank their top-five choices, just one selection is made for MIP, and the player with the most votes wins. Carrington received 28 out of 67 votes, with two others -- Dearica Hamby and Bridget Carleton -- finishing in double digits. All told, seven players got at least one vote.