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Stud Budz React to DiJonai Carrington Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 2:28 PM ET

The Stud Budz, also known as Minnesota Lynx guards Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, welcomed a new teammate to Minnesota on Sunday.

Reactions poured in from around the WNBA when the Dallas Wings traded 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington to the Lynx in return for:

Diamond Miller, forward
Karlie Samuelson, guard
2027 second-round draft pick

Few opinions held more weight with WNBA fans than those of the Stud Budz, the beloved Twitch streaming duo who took over 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis with their behind-the-scenes 72-hour livestream that featured everyone from injured Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Williams and Hiedeman offered their immediate thoughts on the trade on social media, while teasing a "special guest" — possibly Carrington — for their stream on Sunday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by minnesotalynx (@minnesotalynx)

Stud Budz Welcome DiJonai Carrington to the Lynx

Williams reposted the video above, which was from a previous stream including Carrington, to her Instagram story.

She added the caption, "W’S IN THE CHATTTT."

pic.twitter.com/T5e13VudVk
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 3, 2025

Meanwhile, Hiedeman reacted on X, tagging Carrington with the message, "See you soon."

See you soon best @DijonaiVictoria
— Tspoon (@NatishaHiedeman) August 3, 2025

Beyond their individual reactions, the Stud Budz Instagram account announced that the details of their stream planned for Sunday had changed.

"Streaming a little bit later today because we have a special guest," they said.

You can check out their Twitch channel here.

Building Chemistry in Minnesota's Crowded Backcourt

The warm welcome showed that the off-court relationship between Williams, Hiedeman and Carrington is already strong.

However, there are questions facing Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve when it comes to the on-court fit, also factoring in sharpshooter Kayla McBride in the backcourt.

Will Carrington become a starter again? She started 39 games for the Connecticut Sun in her breakout season in 2024, but only started 13 for the Wings this year.
How does this change Minnesota's spacing? Teams can help off of Carrington, a career 28.1% 3-point shooter, more than Samuelson (39.2%).
Does Carrington improve Minnesota's title chances? The Lynx already had the best record in the WNBA (24-5), the best scoring defense (75.4 points per game) and the MVP favorite (Napheesa Collier).

Time will tell whether or not Minnesota really needed Carrington, but if the initial response of the Stud Budz is anything to go on, she could be a seamless fit.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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