The Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington has a plethora of experiences in her academic life which she applies whenever she gets a chance. Carrington has graduated in psychology and according to the 26-year-old that has helped her immensely in her WNBA career. Carrington didn’t shy away from admitting that she has made complete utilization of her Stanford degrees despite opting for Baylor in her final year.

Carrington was present in an interview with ESPN’s WNBA Off Day when she spoke at length about her academic background and how that has contributed to her being a better individual and a player. “I studied psychology, and I studied African and African-American studies, and I always knew I wanted to do psychology…I think definitely psychology has helped and just learning how to deal and be in different kind of groups, different relationships with different people,” Carrington said on ESPN.

She was quick to admit that every individual is different and has different patterns. Hence, psychology has taught her how to deal with varied situations with diverse individuals. “I think having that psychology background has helped me to be able to communicate with people… who like every different style. And I just feel like I’m, I’m very aware of my teammates, and who you know needs a little extra love today, and who just you need to leave alone today type of thing. I really think that, that part of my education has trickled over into the basketball side,” Carrington added.

Carrington took two undergraduate degrees during her time at Stanford. She was a student of African and African American Studies and Psychology. She played for the Cardinal from 2016 to 2020 and proved her mettle at the NCAA level. Looks like her studies benefited her on the court as she averaged 8.4 points with 5.1 rebounds per game.

Carrington could only play 5 games for the Cardinal in the 2019-20 season before injuring her knee. She received a medical hardship for the same and chose to ply her trade next year for the Baylor Bears where she averaged 14.1 points with 4.9 rebounds per game. Her degrees not only helped her during her college time but sure seem to have been vital even in her W career.

DiJonai Carrington’s degrees have helped her with the Sun

Carrington was drafted in the second round by the Connecticut Sun in 2021. Despite not being a first-round pick, Carrington has managed to hold a crucial position for the Sun over the years which is commendable. She has scored 13 points with 4.9 rebounds per game this season. She has been getting considerable game time with the Sun this season (29.2 minutes/game) after playing on-and-off roles for three years.

Her best game this season came against the Indiana Fever in June when she hit 22 points with 6 rebounds. Hence, it sure looks like she is a perfect combination of balling talent and people management skills.

Now that Carrington has come forward to acknowledge the role of her academic background, more and more players will try to give importance to their studies and look for more holistic development. Meanwhile, Carrington can continue to show her balling mettle and win hearts on the way.

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