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DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith are dating off the court. On the floor, though, they now find themselves in an awkward situation.
The duo is competing against one another in the WNBA Playoffs. It’s already led to one now-viral postgame interaction!
Carrington is a star for the Connecticut Sun, averaging 12.7 points per night from her guard position while ranking ninth in the league in steals. Smith, meanwhile, is a rebounding machine for the Indiana Fever where she ranks 12th in the WNBA in boards.
Those two squads are facing off in the opening round of postseason action this week.
@womensbasketballtingz Dijonai carrington and nalyssa smith 🤍 #dijonaicarrington #nalyssasmith #conneticutsun #indianafever #baylorwbb #wnba ♬ Dreaming Of You – LahDae
The Sun landed the No. 3 seed in the playoff field after going 28-12 in the regular season. The Fever went 20-20 to earn the No. 6 spot.
Connecticut won three of four regular season meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals, and that dominance continued with a 93-69 victory in the playoff series opener.
DiJonai Carrington shined in that matchup with 14 points and three dimes while NaLyssa Smith was largely a non-factor. She missed her only shot in nine minutes of action.
@peakplayhighlights DiJonai Carrington In Game 1 Playoffs Against Indiana Fever 9.22.24 #wnba #dijonaicarrington #basketball #sports ♬ original sound – peakplayhighlights
After the game, Smith’s frustrations were visible.
Carrington was seen attempting to pick up her partner following the blowout, but she wanted nothing of it. It’s an interesting dynamic for sure!
@womensbasketballtingz Dijonai carrington snd nalyssa smith postgame 🤍 #dijonaicarrington #nalyssasmith #conneticutsun #indianafever #wnba ♬ can I get a kiss – i
The duo has been dating for some time, with their personal relationship going back to when they were college teammates at Baylor. Now, they find themselves on opposite sides of competition!
DiJonai Carrington’s history with NaLyssa Smith’s current team has been well documented this year.
A rivalry with rookie Caitlin Clark has blossomed with the pair making headlines throughout the WNBA season.
In June, Carrington mocked Clark for her constant flopping, a narrative that’s followed the Rookie of the Year since her days at Iowa.
Carrington’s also called out a perceived double standard regarding Clark’s trash talk while blasting the Fever fanbase for being the “nastiest in the W.”
@thesuperstarway #WNBA #dijonaicarrington #Basketball #Fyp #TheSUPERstarWAY ♬ original sound – ThesuperstarWAY
Carrington and Smith will face off at least a couple more times as foes with each team looking to advance to the second round of the WNBA Playoffs.
It will be fun to keep an eye on the duo as they continue to compete as rivals!