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DiJonai Carrington came under fire during the Connecticut Sun's first-round series against the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Playoffs. Carrington and the Suns swept the Fever to advance to the semifinals.
Unfortunately the WNBA's Most Improved Player caught heat on social media after accidentally poking Caitlin Clark in the eye during the first game.
Carrington was defending Clark when she swiped for a pass and inadvertently grazed the Rookie of the Year's eye.
She was immediately met with vitriol from trolls on social media who claimed she intentionally tried to injure Clark, while saying she used her "gigantic nails" as a weapon. For the second game, one fan and even showed up with a ridiculous costume taking aim at Carrington.
There is one problem: Carrington didn't have long nails. Her nails barely extended past her finger tips.
Ahead of the semifinals, Carrington took to social media to clap back at the trolls and showed off her nails with the caption, "I've loved rockin my short, natural nails ALL season" followed by a series of smiley face emojis. She added, "[Please] leave me alone!!!"
Y’all can never make me hate Dijonai pic.twitter.com/A4narPxu37
— DiJonai Carrington defender (@dijonaiupdate) September 28, 2024
Brilliantly played.
Carrington and the Sun return to action on Sunday night against WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx for Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinal series.
Carrington has put together an incredible season for the Sun and has established herself as one of the best perimeter-defending guards in the league. She averaged 12.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game during the regular season.
More must-reads:
- Sparks receive significant update on 2024 rookie's return from injury
- Man sentenced to prison for stalking Caitlin Clark
- The 'NFL all-time touchdown receptions leaders' quiz
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Liberty vs Wings Prediction, Odds, Pick for Monday, July 28
The New York Liberty and Dallas Wings meet in the WNBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. EDT at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. The Liberty are favored by -7.5 on the spread, with the over/under set at 170.5 (-110o / -110u). The Liberty are a -325 favorite to win outright, while the Wings are +260 to pull off the upset. Let’s get into my Liberty vs. Wings prediction and WNBA picks. Liberty vs. Wings Odds, Pick Liberty vs. Wings Spread: Liberty -7.5 (-110), Wings +7.5 (-110) Liberty vs. Wings Over/Under: 170.5 (-110o / -110u) Liberty vs. Wings Moneyline: Liberty -325, Wings +260 Liberty vs. Wings Best Bet: Sabrina Ionescu Over 20.5 Points, Natasha Cloud Over 16.5 PA The New York Liberty face off against the Dallas Wings on Monday night in what could be an up-tempo matchup. Breanna Stewart (leg) left Saturday’s game against the Sparks after just three minutes, and while she has avoided significant injury, she is not expected to play tonight, despite traveling with the team. The Liberty will also be without Nyara Sabally due to knee discomfort. The team is anxiously awaiting Emma Meesseman’s debut as well; she could provide an immediate boost to their frontcourt. For the Wings, Paige Bueckers sat out their game on Sunday for rest, along with Maddy Siegrist (knee) and Myisha Hines-Allen. Their status has not been updated just yet for today’s contest, but Bueckers should play, considering her miss was not due to injury. Surprisingly, the Liberty remain fairly static in terms of their efficiency and advanced metrics without Stewart. Their offense actually improves by about a point, although the defense is two points worse per 100 possessions. The players who see the biggest boost are Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud. Sab’s scoring skyrockets from 28.2 points per 100 to 42.3 points per 100, and Cloud’s from 16.5 to 25.8. The Usage bump is significant. Sabrina’s points line is set at 20.5, and Cloud’s PA (points + assists) line is 16.5, both spots I’d be willing to grab given the up-tempo pace with which both of these teams play. Despite Stewart not playing, the Liberty should be able to handle this game with the Wings on a back-to-back. I’ll trust the Liberty’s guards to take care of business. Best Bet: Sabrina Ionescu Over 20.5 Points, Natasha Cloud Over 16.5 PA
Could wheeler-dealer Yankees replace Anthony Volpe at shortstop?
The New York Yankees, who recently traded for infielders Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, are in the market for another infielder, the New York Post's Joel Sherman reported Monday. Per Sherman, the ideal player is “a right-handed hitter with the ability to play shortstop if necessary.” If true, this might have implications for current New York shortstop Anthony Volpe. The Yankees’ former top prospect has struggled at the plate and in the field this season, hitting .215/.285/.403 with 14 home runs and -3 outs above average and totaling 13 errors. Adding another infielder would almost certainly mean the Yankees have other plans for Volpe. Sherman reported Yankees GM Brian Cashman placed calls to the Tampa Bay Rays about utilitymen Ha-Seong Kim (.226 BA in 31 at-bats this season), José Caballero (.227 BA) and Taylor Walls (.218 BA). The most intriguing of those names is Kim, who started the season on the IL and recently landed there again. But Kim can be a difference-maker. His batting average has declined from its peak of .260 in 2023 (though still better than Volpe’s), but his on-base percentage is solid (.326 for his career). His defense also is top notch — he won a Gold Glove in 2023 at second base with the San Diego Padres and three Golden Gloves in the KBO, the South Korea pro league. The two other utilitymen Sherman mentioned are replacement-level players. Of the three, Kim comes with the least club control — he holds a player option for next season and will be an unconditional free agent after 2026. At .500 entering play Monday, the Rays (53-53) could be sellers or buyers at the Thursday trade deadline (6 p.m. Eastern). Tampa Bay is fourth in the AL East, but it is just three games out of a wild-card spot. If the Rays aren't sellers, the Yankees could also explore deals for utilitymen Willi Castro of the Minnesota Twins or Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kiner-Falefa played for the Yankees in 2022 and 2023.
Raiders rookie WR showing he could be steal of 2025 draft
Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. is opening eyes at training camp, including QB Geno Smith, who appears to be trusting the rookie. Maybe that is the reason why general manager John Spytek has not looked for outside help at the position. And just maybe he got a steal from the 2025 NFL Draft. That looked evident on the first day of pads in Henderson, Nevada, where Thornton badly beat fellow rookie cornerback Darien Porter for a long touchdown, as described by The Athletic's Tashan Reed. In a piece, Reed said Thornton has been the first-string "X" receiver since OTAs and "could make an immediate impact." Thornton shared what Smith told him during training camp: "He tells me every single day, 'if you've got a one-on-one matchup, I'm coming to you,'" Smith said, as shared by Reed. "It means a lot to me. Being a rookie and just getting here ... just knowing that he believes in me a lot. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep getting better." While the headlines are more on rookie RB Ashton Jeanty for his potential big season, Thornton is making sure he is not forgotten after getting selected in the fourth round (108th overall) after leading the University of Tennessee with 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Thornton is getting all the opportunities he can get, given the Raiders didn't bother to add a veteran WR. One could see why Thornton is raising eyebrows in training camp. That is a good thing because Smith is trusting Thornton's potential playmaking abilities. Thornton is one of the tallest Raiders WRs besides Collin Johnson, and that could be a big deal given the Raiders need a big target minus TEs Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas. Yet, ESPN's Mike Clay is projecting Thornton to have a quiet year with 317 receiving yards and a TD. With such low numbers, maybe that is how the Raiders would prefer it to be, anyway. Only the Raiders know what they have in Thornton. It is up to Thornton to keep the momentum going into preseason games and beyond.
Maple Leafs Top Prospect Shatters Expectations at World Junior Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
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