Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith, one of the WNBA’s rising stars, is off to China! But despite the prospect of earning a fat offseason paycheck with Zhejiang in the WCBA, Smith’s recent Instagram post makes it clear there’s one big thing she’s leaving behind—her heart! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Smith is already getting the feels about her “old lady,” Connecticut Sun guard and beloved girlfriend, DiJonai Carrington.
The two athletes, who’ve been inseparable since their days at Baylor University, have taken WNBA fans on a ride as thrilling as one of Smith’s cross-court drives. Their post-college romance has been blazing ever since they reportedly got together in 2022. But now, the pair face a new challenge: a long-distance love spanning across oceans, time zones, and possibly all of WeChat’s emojis.
‘Miss’n My Old Ladyyy’ – A Modern Love Story
In a post that’s as tender as it is touching, Smith shared a sweet photo of herself and Carrington, captioning it with “miss’n my old ladyyy” and soundtracking the image with Rod Wave’s soulful track, Fall Fast in Love. (Yes, even the background music is pulling at heartstrings!)
WNBA fans, already smitten with the couple, went into a frenzy, leaving comments like, “Long-distance has nothing on y’all!” and “We’re here for the romance!” For anyone wondering, yes, Carrington’s also deep in her feelings, cheering on Smith’s dreams, albeit probably through some shed tears and marathon video calls.
From Rivals to Ride-or-Dies
Fans will remember the recent playoff face-off that put the Fever against Carrington’s Sun—talk about bringing competition into your love life! The Indiana Fever, riding high on their first playoff appearance since 2016, couldn’t quite get the upper hand against the Sun, leaving Smith and Carrington to go from rivals back to ride-or-dies in record time.
And for Smith, this isn’t her first time venturing overseas to keep her game sharp. Last season, she took her talents to Turkey, starring for Galatasaray in the Turkish League and EuroCup. You can bet Smith’s experience abroad is helping her ease into the Zhejiang scene—but as her post proves, even a past adventure won’t save her from the tugging heartstrings that DiJonai has wrapped around her.
A Season of Success and Love in the Air
Smith’s been on an absolute tear this year with Indiana, joining forces with WNBA giants like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. And after a hard-fought season and her first playoff run, Smith admitted that her biggest source of support came from a close-knit group that included, you guessed it, Carrington. As she put it herself, “My family, my girlfriend, my friends, my teammates… that’s probably the biggest thing that helped me this year.” And can we just take a moment to appreciate the sentiment? Because not even China can keep this couple from making our feeds brighter.
As WNBA fans count down to next season, Smith’s got one more year on her rookie contract with Indiana, and the Fever faithful are already anticipating her return. But until then, Smith’s journey continues in China, where she’s not just taking on the WCBA but showing us all that distance might make the heart grow fonder—especially when your “old lady” is back home cheering you on.
So grab the popcorn, folks! This isn’t just another sports story—it’s a saga, a romance, and one more reason to believe that love (and a little sarcasm) conquers all, even across 7,000 miles.