CONNECTICUT SUN'S DiJONAI CARRINGTON VOTED 2024 WNBA PLAYER WITH THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT

NEW YORK, September 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 sports commentators. Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby finished second with 18 votes, Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton finished third with 15 votes and Chicago Sky defenseman Chennedy Carter finished fourth with three votes. Seattle Storm forward Jordan Horston, New York Liberty defenseman Sabrina Ionescu and Lynx forward Alanna Smith each received one vote.

The 5-11 Carrington, selected by the Sun with the 20^th The all-time No. 1 player in the 2021 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm averaged 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.56 steals this season, compared to 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.63 steals in 2023. She also had 25 games with 10 points or more, which is a career high.

Carrington led the WNBA in games with at least five steals (three) and ranked ninth in steals per game. Thanks to her strong defensive performance, 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 she played in, helping Connecticut to 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, who hold a 1-0 first-round lead over the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever, 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 (shared winner in 2004 with Indiana's Kelly Miller).

In honor of her award as Kia WNBA Most Improved Player, Carrington will receive $5,150 and a trophy to commemorate her achievement.

Below you will find the voting results for the 2024 Kia ​​WNBA Most Improved Player Award and a list of previous winners.

VOTING RESULTS FOR THE MOST IMPROVED KIA WNBA PLAYER 2024

Voices of the player team

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 rank high in automotive quality surveys. Kia was named one of the world's most sustainable companies in 2024 by TIME magazine. 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 dealerships across the U.S., including several cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.