DiJonai Carrington Injury Update: When Will She Return?

For months now, DiJonai Carrington’s injury has been shrouded in mystery. Carrington had ankle surgery last October and had “hardware” removed in the ankle area in mid-April of this year, but the Sky have been mum when it comes to announcing a specific timeline to a return to basketball. The San Diego native signed with the Sky in April of this year, but has yet to make her debut with the team. Below, we will dish out an injury update on Carrington and look at potential return dates for the former WNBA All-Defensive First Team member.

DiJonai Carrington injury update: When will she return?
It can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks to return to high-impact activities following hardware removal from the ankle. We do not know the specific date that Carrington had the hardware removed, though The Athletic’s Annie Costabile reported that it occurred in “mid-April.”

If we say the procedure took place on April 15, then it has now been 7 weeks and 6 days since.

Twelve weeks from April 15 would be July 8, 2026.

The Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe wrote earlier this month that Carrington might not be back until after the FIBA World Cup break, which takes place Aug. 31 to Sept. 16.

Sky head coach Tyler Marsh pushed back on that report.

“We shouldn’t believe everything that we see and read,” Marsh told Alissa Hirsh of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We are committed to the timeline that has been established. [Carrington] is progressing well, into on-court activities … We’re looking forward to getting her back.”

Carrington herself scoffed at the report that she would not be back on the court until late in the summer, as she posted a “cap” emoji while re-tweeting an X post with the Chicago Tribune story.

Based on all of that information, it seems as though a late June return for Carrington is the best-case scenario and a late July return is the worst-case scenario.

Here is a look at the Sky’s schedule in late June and early July.

DiJonai Carrington outlook
Carrington has become something of a journey-woman these past few years as she is on her fourth team in three seasons. The 2021 Connecticut Sun second round draft pick played four seasons with the Sun before landing with the Dallas Wings via trade in February of 2025. Just six months later, the Wings traded Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx.

Carrington was named the WNBA Most Improved Player in 2024, and also made the WNBA All-Defensive First Team in 2024.

Chicago Sky odds
The Sky were +5500 to win the 2026 WNBA title before the season began.

Chicago has lived up to those underwhelming expectations as it is 4-7 on the season and has lost six of its last seven games.

The Sky are now +20000 at Fanatics Sportsbook to win the WNBA title.