NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2024 – Connecticut Sun guard-forward DiJonai Carrington has been named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, the WNBA announced today.
Carrington received 28 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby finished in second place with 18 votes, Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton came in third with 15 votes and Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter was fourth with three votes. Seattle Storm forward Jordan Horston, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Lynx forward Alanna Smith each received one vote.
The 5-11 Carrington, selected by the Sun with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, averaged career highs of 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.56 steals this season, up from 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.63 steals in 2023. In addition, she recorded a career-high 25 games with 10 or more points.
Carrington paced all WNBA players in games with at least five steals (three) and ranked ninth in steals per game. Behind her strong defensive play, the Sun led the league in fewest points allowed (73.6 points per game) and defensive rating (94.1). In addition, Connecticut ranked third in steals per game (8.2).
In her fourth WNBA season, Carrington started all 39 games in which she played. She helped Connecticut post a 28-12 record – the most wins in franchise history – and earn the No. 3 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google. The Sun, which leads the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever 1-0 in the first round, will host Game 2 tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Carrington is the fifth player to win the Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award with the Sun, joining Brionna Jones (2021), Jonquel Jones (2017), Kelsey Bone (2015) and Wendy Palmer (co-winner in 2024 with Indiana’s Kelly Miller).
In honor of being named the Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, Carrington will receive $5,150 and a trophy designed to commemorate the achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award.
2024 KIA WNBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER VOTING RESULTS
Player Team Votes
DiJonai Carrington Connecticut Sun 28
Dearica Hamby Los Angeles Sparks 18
Bridget Carleton Minnesota Lynx 15
Chennedy Carter Chicago Sky 3
Jordan Horston Seattle Storm 1
Sabrina Ionescu New York Liberty 1
Alanna Smith Minnesota Lynx 1
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top automotive quality surveys. Kia is recognized as one of the TIME World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and WNBA and offers a range of gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles sold through a network of over 775 dealers in the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.
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