Mohegan — When Alyssa Thomas gets the ball in transition, her Connecticut Sun teammate DiJonai Carrington knows to take off.

Thomas, an WNBA All-Star, is a deft passer.

And Carrington ... well, Carrington used to be a wide receiver.

“She looks at me and I’m like, ‘All right, turn the jets on,’” Carrington said. “She throws it out there. She’s a great passer. Her body control is amazing. I don’t know how she does it, honestly. I played football growing up. My dad played football, so I think it’s genetic also.”

Darren Carrington, DiJonai’s father, played in the NFL for eight seasons with five different teams, chosen in the fifth round of the 1989 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.

Darren played in Super Bowl XXIX for the San Diego Chargers in 1995 and was the Broncos’ kick return specialist in Super Bowl XXIV in 1990, in which he returned six kicks for 146 yards.

DiJonai, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward out of Baylor, chosen by the Sun in the second round of the 2021 draft, is averaging 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game off the bench for Connecticut headed into Sunday’s game against the Washington Mystics at Mohegan Sun Arena (3 p.m., ESPN).

But it’s Carrington’s past four games that have brought attention.

Carrington is averaging 17.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during that time, including a career-high 23 points in an 89-81 loss to the New York Liberty on June 27.

The Sun trailed that game by 16 before coming back to take the lead on Carrington’s coattails. She caught two length-of-the-court passes from Thomas, touchdown passes, if you will, in the second quarter.

Growing up in San Diego, Carrington played Pop Warner football from the ages of 8-11.

“I was a receiver and my brother is a receiver, too, so it runs in the family,” Carrington said following Saturday’s practice at the Mohegan Tribal Community Center. “I wanted to play football so that’s why I learned. I’ve always just been around it and had conversations with (my father) about football.

“I don’t know, like his son, but I’m not his son. ... He got to the highest of the highest in football so that’s definitely where growing up I wanted to get in my respective sport. I always soaked up whatever he said because he’s gotten where I want to get to.”

Carrington has undergone six knee surgeries, including one this past offseason.

She played sparingly at the beginning of the season under first-year head coach Stephanie White, three minutes combined in the first four games, twice not playing at all.

She admits that she didn’t immediately see White’s vision and the fact that White’s pro-style offense, a more free-flowing read-and-react game instead of meticulous play-calling, is perfectly suited to her.

She’s also no longer shying away from contact to her knee, instead embracing the contact.

“I think I’ve been dealt with a lot of obstacles. I’ve had six knee surgeries, three reconstructive ones, so it’s always hard to come back from that. But it builds mental toughness and it gives you a different type of love and gratefulness for the game,” Carrington said.

Carrington missed the Sun’s 93-73 win over Seattle on Thursday due to a non-COVID illness.

She was the last one off the floor Saturday, taking extra shots.

“For her to be stepping up that way, hopefully she can continue that because that’s what we need from her in order to win,” the Sun’s DeWanna Bonner said. “I’m super proud of her.”

“She is a player who’s impacted ballgames for us, who’s probably won ballgames for us,” White said. “... What she brings to the table is exactly what we need.”

Bonner leads the Sun with 17.6 points per game, while Elena Delle Donne leads Washington with 19.5.

The Mystics are listing Delle Donne and (left ankle) and assist leader Natasha Cloud (right ankle) as probable for the game due to their injuries, while leading rebounder Shakira Austin (left hip strain) and Kristi Toliver (right plantar fasciitis) are out.

The Sun are 2-0 against Washington this season.

v.fulkerson@theday.com