DiJonai Carrington has made national headlines recently due to her appointment to the 2024 All-Defensive First Team. The budding WNBA legend has been tearing up the court with the Connecticut Sun since she was picked in the 2021 draft, after having already earned major recognition for her college ball career. Her status as Most Improved Player of 2024 has also brought a lot of eyes to her impressive performance with the Sun, though one of the most eyebrow-raising facts of her year has been a surprising development in her love life. DiJonai Carrington has confirmed that she is in a long-term relationship with her on-the-court opponent NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Indiana Fever.
While this news comes as quite a shock, it’s far from the first time a pair of professional athletes have shared romance on the court. In fact, DiJonai Carrington’s Sun teammates Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner are also actively seeing each other, making a Sun vs. Fever game a double date with an audience. Since fans seem to be deeply drawn to the relationship shared by DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith, it only makes sense that we unpack the history and status of the couple here. With any luck, this will at least allow fans of the WNBA to look past the basketball love story and focus on the game.
Who Is NaLyssa Smith?
Just in case you’re a WNBA fan who exclusively roots for the Connecticut Sun, here’s a quick run-down on NaLyssa Smith. The 24-year-old power forward and long-time partner of DiJonai Carrington is a celebrated basketball star in her own right, having played for the Baylor Bears women’s basketball team from 2018 through 2022. Smith won an NCAA championship in 2019 before taking home the Wade trophy her Junior year, and has since been drafted second overall for the Indiana Fever. Much like DiJonai Carrington, NaLyssa Smith’s accolades are a mile long, despite still being fairly fresh in her WNBA career.
Though some fans have jested that the relationship between these two stars may be a difficult undertaking, due to their on-the-court rivalry, others have explained that the pairing actually makes perfect sense. Fellow WNBA rookie Angel Reese recently explained how she feels that it’s easy for professional athletes to coexist romantically. After all, they are the only people who truly understand the scheduling and dedication required to play the game at an elite level.
Relationship History
Despite only making major headlines in recent weeks, DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith actually began dating several years ago. The pair first crossed paths when Carrington transferred from Stanford to Baylor in 2020. From there, the young women became fast friends as teammates, and started dating shortly thereafter. Now that both women have joined the WNBA, they have faced each other multiple times as opponents, leading to a few eye-catching social media moments. One such moment came in the form of a Sun-Fever match back in July, where Carrington was knocked to the ground during a foul. Smith came along to help lift her fellow player off the court, exposing their tender connection to viewers from all over the world.
Wedding Bells For The WNBA Power Couple?
In addition to the previously mentioned viral moment, DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith were spotted rocking matching pink sweatsuits in the days before their recent playoff series games, with each styled to their specific sensibilities. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to note via social media that Carrington appeared to have a ring on her finger while posing for pictures in her pink outfit, prompting a flurry of questions regarding the couples’ status. At the time of this writing, neither DiJonai Carrington nor NaLyssa Smith have commented on the alleged engagement ring, leaving fans uncertain about the development.
Regardless, the pair make a great couple both on and off the court, and have already become the center of a loving parasocial relationship from WNBA fans across social media. There are many reasons to tune into professional basketball games this season, with romantic sparks serving as another on the list.