WNBA star DiJonai Carrington, the talented and fiery guard for the Connecticut Sun, is disgusted with the league and media for not showcasing the first-ever sellout of a WNBA game at an NBA arena in Boston.
The Sun prevailed against the Los Angeles Sparks, a thrilling come-from-behind victory, 69-61, after going on a 14-2 run in the middle of the 4th quarter to seal the win. The team played in front of a capacity crowd at T.D. Gardens, home to the defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics.
Carrington, Connecticut’s two-way guard, added to her impressive resume as a leading candidate for the Most Improved Player award for 2024. She finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting to go along with four rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
The excitement and raucous atmosphere were punctuated by the 19,000 roaring fans and marquee NBA players sitting courtside, including the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
Carrington expressed her disappointment that the WNBA did not market the game, even though they knew a year in advance that it would be held there. She also said the contest should have been broadcast on a major television network instead of on the WNBA’s X platform.
“I’m gonna keep it real all the time and I feel like Connecticut, as a franchise, is historically disrespected,” Carrington said in the postgame press conference, according to the Sporting News. “So, sometimes, if you want something, you’ve gotta go out there and do it yourself. So that’s what I did for us.”
Carrington added, “I think that there could have been a lot more publicity or promo from the top. Connecticut announced that we were having this game almost a year ago, maybe? I don’t know. Sometime right after last season, so there was ample time to do what needed to be done.”
Before the game, a repulsed Carrington took to X to indirectly scold the league, commenting, “do our own promo,” and tagging the WNBA.
“It didn’t matter anyway. ‘Cause they showed up; it was sold out; we got the W. So I guess my tweet worked,” Carrington said at the press conference. “And the game should have been on a national television broadcast. You shouldn’t have to pay for any type of subscription to see a game that’s this historic, in my opinion. I’m biased but, in my opinion.”
