Women's Fastbreak On SI

DiJonai Carrington Reveals Emotional Reaction to NaLyssa Smith Trade to Aces

Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington opened up about the emotions involved in her partner NaLyssa Smith getting traded to the Las Vegas Aces.
Grant Young|
Jun 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jun 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) against the Phoenix Mercury at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On June 30, news broke that forward NaLyssa Smith had been traded to the Las Vegas Aces from the Dallas Wings in exchange for the Aces' 2027 first-round WNBA Draft pick.

While this trade initially seemed to come out of nowhere, it ultimately made sense for both teams, as the Aces are desperate for frontcourt depth while the Wings are more focused on acquiring assets to rebuild their team from the ground up.

Smith admitted that she was shocked about the trade soon after it was announced. And one aspect of her leaving Dallas that was sad for fans is that she would no longer be playing with DiJonai Carrington, with whom she's in a romantic relationship.

Carrington did an interview with Andscape that was posted on TikTok on July 3, where she opens up about Smith getting shipped to Las Vegas.

"It was an emotional day. And there was less than 10 hours for her to pack and be on the plane. So it was a lot of tears, a lot of just like, I'm excited for her, basketball-wise, and I told her, 'Go crazy, do your thing. This is a great move for you basketball-wise,'" Carrington said.

"Of course, off the court, it's hard to separate. Like, now we're not gonna be able to be living our lives together every single day, and we've got to go back to FaceTiming all the time, and find a way to hang out with each other when we have off days," she added. "But at the end of the day, I do believe that this is the best thing for her in her basketball career. And I told her that at the end... 'This is a great move for you, and you get to play alongside one of the best.'

"I'm super excited for her. I'm sad, I'm super sad. But I'm super excited for her," Carrington concluded.

The Aces and Wings play each other in Dallas on July 16.

Recommended Reading:

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

Share on XFollow GrvntYoung
Home/News