As the WNBA dives into training camp, a steady stream of injury updates — some concerning, some promising — continues to surface ahead of the league’s May 8th tipoff.
According to The Athletic, recent Chicago signing DiJonai Carrington will soon join the Sky after undergoing surgery to remove hardware from a previous left foot injury.
"INJURY UPDATE: DiJonai Carrington had a minor procedure to remove hardware from her left foot, sources tell me," writer Annie Constabile tweeted on Monday. "The recent surgery was an expected follow up to one this offseason addressing a season-ending left foot injury she suffered with the Lynx in 2025."
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor will miss opening day after injuring her foot while representing Australia at March’s FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
Lastly, Las Vegas ruled Dana Evans out indefinitely as the Aces guard recovers from a leg injury that sidelined her from the 2026 Unrivaled postseason.
WNBA Players Target Healthy Returns After 2025 Injury Reports
It’s not all bad news, however, as other key WNBA players target healthy returns after missing significant time in 2025.
Washington expects 2025 draft pick Georgia Amoore to be on the floor for next month’s opener, as the Mystics guard kickstarts a delayed rookie campaign following last year’s preseason ACL tear.
Indiana supestar Caitlin Clark reports that she’s participating in Fever training pain-free after sitting out much of last season — including the playoffs — with a lingering groin issue.
WNBA free agency is firing on all cylinders, as teams look to quickly pad their 2026 rosters with big-name stars and rising prospects alike.
Chicago has been one of the offseason’s most aggressive dealers, sending young centerpiece Angel Reese to Atlanta before signing vets Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington, and Azurá Stevens and trading for 2024 draftees Rickea Jackson and Jacy Sheldon.
"Diggins is the kind of player who elevates everyone around her," Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said in a team statement.
"Skylar is a true veteran leader, and she possesses unmatched speed and shot creation potential. I can't wait to work with her."
Diggins grew up in South Bend, Indiana — just a few hours from Chicago — and subsequently attended Notre Dame, leading the women's basketball team to two NCAA finals.
Big Names Find New Teams as 2026 WNBA Free Agency Heats Up
As the new CBA ushers in the league’s first million-dollar contracts, both players and teams are taking advantage of a breakneck free agency market.
All-Star guard Gabby Williams joined Golden State, forward Nneka Ogwumike is returning to LA, and 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith is Dallas-bound alongside ex-Lynx teammate Jessica Shepard.
Texas-born center Brittney Griner is also on the move, signing with Connecticut as the Sun prepares to relocate to Houston in 2027.
The season two roster for Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is officially complete, with the offseason league announcing its final three players on Thursday — and revealing that some big names from the venture's inaugural campaign will not feature on the 2026 court.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will not return for Unrivaled's second season, though league EVP and GM Clare Duwelius told The Athletic this week that they had "lots of conversations" with the players.
DiJonai Carrington will miss the 2026 campaign as well, as a mid-foot sprain suffered during September's WNBA Playoffs forced the Minnesota Lynx guard to withdraw from next year's competition.
With Carrington leaving the eight-team league's final open roster spots at three, Unrivaled rounded out their 2026 numbers with Chicago Sky guard Rebecca Allen, Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald, and Seattle Storm center and 2025 WNBA Draft overall No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga.
Malonga joins the 3×3 upstart after abruptly terminating her overseas contract with Turkish club Fenerbahçe following a post-WNBA season wrist surgery.
Unrivaled also dropped the list of their 2026 head coaches this week, with returning managers Nola Henry and Teresa Weatherspoon joined by fresh faces including ex-Storm boss Noelle Quinn.
How to watch Unrivaled in 2026
Unrivaled will tip off its expanded 2026 season on January 5th, with live coverage airing on TNT.
The Dallas Wings are officially making moves, with the franchise announcing Tuesday that it is parting ways with first-year head coach Chris Koclanes after the team finished the 2025 WNBA season in last place with a 10-34 record.
"As we enter a pivotal point in our team's future, we felt a change in leadership at this time was best for our organization," Dallas EVP and GM Curt Miller said in a Tuesday statement. "The Dallas Wings remain dedicated to their pursuit of WNBA Championships and building upon the strong culture established on and off the court."
Helming a Wings side that struggled with injury throughout the 2025 campaign, Koclanes cobbled together 18 different starting rosters as reserves and hardship signings led Dallas to field a WNBA-high 21 players across the season.
With Tuesday's announcement, Koclanes is now the third dismissed WNBA head coach this year, joining now-unemployed sideline leaders Noelle Quinn (Seattle Storm) and Sandy Brondello (New York Liberty) as the Wings look to build around 2025 No. 1 draft pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
Dallas also has an eye on the future, heading into the offseason with the best odds to secure next year's No. 1 overall draft selection — their second straight top pick — after a midseason pivot saw the team offload 2025 additions NaLyssa Smith and DiJonai Carrington.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx are inching toward the clinch, closing in on booking a 2025 WNBA Playoffs spot after weekend victories over the No. 10 Washington Mystics and No. 2 New York Liberty extended the league leaders' winning streak to five straight games.
"We didn't make them feel uncomfortable, and they made us feel really uncomfortable," Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said of Minnesota's locked-in defense — fueled by recent addition DiJonai Carrington.
The top two teams in the WNBA standings will meet twice more in the next nine days, as both Minnesota and New York look to maintain their positioning while waiting for their MVP short-listers — Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Liberty standout Breanna Stewart — to return from injury.
As Minnesota widens the gap with just 12 games remaining before the 2025 Playoffs, last weekend's lineup saw other teams rise and fall as clock ticks down on 2025 play.
No. 8 Seattle experienced a precipitous drop, pulling level with the postseason cutoff line after two narrow weekend losses to the No. 6 Las Vegas Aces and No. 9 LA Sparks stretched the Storm's skid to five games.
Taking advantage of other teams' shortcomings, the previously struggling Aces are again climbing the standings, logging a four-game winning streak capped by forward A'ja Wilson's record-setting 32-point, 20-rebound Sunday performance.
How to watch the WNBA game on Monday
The WNBA's lone Monday matchup pits the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries against the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
The East Coast vs. West Coast clash tips off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx hit a snag this week, as league-leading scorer and star forward Napheesa Collier will miss at least two weeks of play after picking up an ankle injury in Saturday's 111-58 blowout win over the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces.
While an MRI confirmed there was no major injury, per ESPN, Collier's sprain will need to be "re-evaluated in the coming weeks."
"Obviously, you hate to see anybody go down, but especially your MVP," Lynx guard Kayla McBride said. "We just wish the best for her. We just want her to be healthy."
Minnesota will aim to continue their run of form without their franchise player as part of a Tuesday lineup with serious WNBA standings implications:
- No. 9 Washington Mystics vs. No. 12 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Locked in a multi-team battle for postseason contention, the Mystics have a chance to make headway against an Angel Reese-less Sky desperate to break out.
- No. 5 Indiana Fever vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Sparks, 10 PM ET (CBS Sports): The Fever are rolling despite the lack of return timeline for injured star Caitlin Clark, but a Sparks side with seven wins in their last 10 games could upend Indiana.
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 6 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): With Collier sidelined due to injury, the Lynx will welcome key addition DiJonai Carrington to the fold as a hungry Seattle looks to pounce following two straight losses.
With more than half the 2025 season in the books, it's prime time for WNBA injuries, putting shorthanded squads in the spotlight as they push toward the playoffs.
The Minnesota Lynx made headlines on Sunday, as the league leaders finalized a trade to acquire 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington from the No. 11 Dallas Wings.
In return for sending Carrington to Minnesota, Sunday's trade saw Dallas receive forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson, and a second-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Minnesota's move to secure Carrington comes in the wake of No. 2 New York successfully signing 2019 WNBA champion Emma Meesseman, with the Belgium international logging 11 points in her Liberty debut — an 87-78 win over the last-place Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
"She made the wrong choice," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of Meesseman's decision, after the 2025 EuroBasket champ reportedly considered joining Minnesota for her WNBA return.
As for the Wings, Dallas now appears to be shifting gears.
After stocking up on veteran talent like Carrington and forward NaLyssa Smith during the offseason, this weekend's trade — alongside the Sunday waiving of veteran Wings center Teaira McCowan — has Dallas seemingly undertaking a more methodical, youth-focused rebuild around their 2025 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers.
In addition to this weekend's roster refresh, the Wings previously dealt Smith away to the No. 7 Las Vegas Aces earlier this summer, snagging a 2027 first-round draft pick in return.
Before grabbing top talent in 2027, however, Dallas could be on track to snag a second straight No. 1 pick, as the Wings are currently skidding toward a shot at securing the top 2026 draftee.
Another round of upsets tore through the WNBA over the long weekend, with the youth-powered No. 11 Dallas Wings grabbing headlines behind Thursday's 98-89 win over the No. 2 Phoenix Mercury.
With injured Dallas stars DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale forced to watch from the sidelines, four Wings rookies started Thursday's matchup — the most first-year starters on any WNBA team since 2000.
The team's young core stepped up and shined, with Aziaha James, Paige Bueckers, and JJ Quinerly combining for 68 points to outlast Phoenix forward Kahleah Copper's game-leading 33-point performance.
"The rookies were fantastic," Copper said afterwards. "They came out with no fear, as you should. They played free, they played aggressive, and they showed what they could do."
While the Mercury's two-game losing streak has yet to impact their spot in the current WNBA standings, it did widen the gap at the top of the table.
Phoenix's stumble gave No. 1 Minnesota a 4.5-game lead over the field, with the Lynx ending the weekend on a 3-0 run to avenge last Tuesday's WNBA Commissioner's Cup loss.
Also climbing the ranks was the No. 4 Seattle Storm, who downed both No. 5 Atlanta and No. 3 New York to pull within a half-game of the skidding Liberty.
As for the 2025 Commissioner's Cup champs, No. 7 Indiana opened their long weekend slate with a massive 81-54 Thursday win against No. 8 Las Vegas — the Fever's first victory over the Aces since 2019 — before narrowly falling 89-87 to the No. 10 LA Sparks on Saturday.
How to watch the Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury WNBA game
After falling on the road to Dallas last Thursday, Phoenix will hope Monday's home-court advantage will snap their two-loss streak as they try their luck against Wings again at 10 PM ET.
The rematch will air live on WNBA League Pass.
With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming later this month, teams across the league aren't waiting for the August 7th deadline to pull the trigger on trades and waivers, significantly shaking up league rosters.
On Monday, Dallas abruptly traded forward NaLyssa Smith to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for a 2027 first-round draft pick, surprising Smith and her Wings teammates — including girlfriend DiJonai Carrington.
"Sick to my stomach dawg, never seen this coming," Smith posted to X after the WNBA announced the trades, adding "if I could've chose anywhere to go it would've been Vegas, so hella excited [for] this new opportunity."
WNBA trades target future prospects
The recent WNBA trades both reflect the depth of options Dallas has in their frontcourt — most recently boosted by the Wings acquiring center Li Yueru from Seattle last month — and indicates the team's early play at a talented WNBA Draft class, with NCAA stars like USC's JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo going pro in 2027.
At the same time, Smith's trade extends Las Vegas's first-round draft drought, with the Aces — who last added a first-round selection in 2022 — currently without an early draft pick until 2028.
As the Las Vegas focuses on leveling up this season, hoping Smith helps boost their current seventh-place league standing, the Aces also added roster cuts to their Monday trade.
Las Vegas handed out waivers to guard Tiffany Mitchell and second-year forward Elizabeth Kitley, who was selected 24th overall by the Aces in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite tearing her ACL at the end of her NCAA career.
Golden State waives 2025 EuroBasket champ Vanloo
Making their own controversial Monday move was 2025 expansion side Golden State, as the Valkyries cut Belgian guard Julie Vanloo shortly after the 2025 EuroBasket champion rushed to return to California, skipping her national team's title-winning celebrations.
"Literally just touched down in the bay," Vanloo wrote on an Instagram story littered with broken heart emojis. "I need some time to process all of this man and put my feels into words. I can't right now."
While Golden State faces backlash for the timing of the cut, waiving Vanloo ultimately opens up a contract for the Valkyries, with rumors swirling that either guard Kaitlyn Chen or forward Laeticia Amihere will earn the roster spot after impressing as replacement players during European absences.
All in all, with WNBA roster space remaining at a premium, teams are making big swings in an effort to shore up their ranks as they push toward the 2025 season's halfway point.
The Dallas Wings made arguably the easiest decision of the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday night, selecting UConn guard Paige Bueckers as the overall No. 1 pick.
"I can't wait to play with that system, to play with that team, to embrace that new city," Bueckers told reporters. "To be in a place that you're loved and wanted, that's very important."
"Very early on it was Paige, and Paige only. She's such a special player," said newly hired Dallas GM Curt Miller.
Bueckers bolsters revamped Dallas team
Bueckers has been the consensus No. 1 draftee since the start of the 2024/25 NCAA season. Top pick-holder Dallas subsequently spent the offseason assembling existing WNBA talent to complement their expected collegiate recruit.
Returning starters include Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McCowan. Additionally, Miller brought on experienced players NaLyssa Smith, DiJonai Carrington, and Ty Harris.
"There's a new GM, new coach, new assistant coach, a whole new team," Bueckers said. "We're excited for that fresh start."
The 11th-place Wings ended last season on a nine-game losing streak. And with a 9-31 record, Dallas missed the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. The team now aims to right the ship in 2025 behind their new-look lineup and freshly minted franchise player Bueckers.
"She can take over a game when she wants to, but she has a great feel for getting others involved and that’s really special," said incoming Wings head coach Chris Koclanes.
"You put that next to Arike, and I feel together they'll be able to play off each other."
With a fully revamped roster and an upgraded arena and practice facility in the works, the Dallas Wings appear to be bypassing the traditionally slow rebuild and will instead hit the ground running in 2025.