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DiJonai Carrington's Touching Message to NaLyssa Smith After Aces' WNBA Finals Win

Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington couldn't hold in her excitement after her girlfriend NaLyssa Smith won the WNBA Finals with the Las Vegas Aces.

Jack Haslett

Dallas Wings forward NaLyssa Smith (1) and guard DiJonai Carrington (21) look on from the team bench during the first half against the Washington Mystics at College Park Center.
Dallas Wings forward NaLyssa Smith (1) and guard DiJonai Carrington (21) look on from the team bench during the first half against the Washington Mystics at College Park Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Aces completed their 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury Friday night with a triumphant 97-86 victory to win the 2025 WNBA Finals, their third championship in four years.

It's going to be a big night of celebration for Las Vegas fans, but a certain Minnesota Lynx player will be celebrating too, even though it wasn't her team taking home the trophy. And she'll be celebrating for a sweet reason.

DiJonai Carrington and Aces forward Nalyssa Smith have been a couple since they played together in college at Baylor from 2020-21, and their basketball romance has continued strong since both have gone professional in the WNBA. The couple even had the opportunity to play together as teammates on the Dallas Wings in 2025.

The happy couple was then sadly split up when Smith was traded midseason to the Las Vegas Aces, a move that left Smith "sick to her stomach," in her own words, since she would now be separated from Carrington.

Carrington Showing Love

Carrington herself was later traded to the Lynx, and after her team was eliminated from the playoffs, she was watching her girlfriend's team dominate in the WNBA finals from the sidelines. After the sweep was made official with the Ace's Friday night win, Carrington took to X to share an excited and supportive message

"My baby is a WNBA champion. I’m so so freaking proud of you!!!!! You were the turning point of the season [NaLyssa Smith] !!!! I love you beyond words!" Carrington wrote.

Smith was a strategic acquisition for the Aces and was a steady contributor in their Finals victory. Averaging 19.1 minutes across all four games, Smith put up 3.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game while drawing defenders away from A'ja Wilson to allow the MVP to dominate the series.

Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington has her shot blocked by Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith.
Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) has her shot blocked by Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) during the second half at College Park Center. / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Smith's Contributions to the Aces

Smith was a big piece that helped the Aces down the stretch of the regular season as well, helping them finish the regular season strong after a rocky start as a team and carry momentum through the postseason, where the Aces finished 9-3 overall.

Carrington, like her girlfriend, was also in a playoff hunt with the Lynx. The best team all regular season, the Lynx were upset by the Mercury in the semifinals, a series Carrington was unable to participate in after she suffered a foot injury during Round One against the Golden State Valkyries.

Even if her own season ended with disappointment, Carrington will surely be celebrating Smith's major career accomplishment. As the Minnesota guard focuses on her recovery in the offseason, she'll also likely be taking time to help her girlfriend clear out some space in her trophy case.

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Jack Haslett
JACK HASLETT

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