Not one but two WNBA couples will play in the Sun-Fever playoff series. But while one of the couples will suit up for the same side, the other will face off on the court.
Sun teammates and significant others DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas will play together in the first-round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, but Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington and Indiana's NaLyssa Smith won't be as lucky.
Fortunately for the couple, this is not a new phenomenon. The pair have faced off nine times previously in their professional careers including four times already during the regular season this year, so Carrington and Smith have figured out how to make things work both on and off the court.
“Once we get between them lines, it is what it is,” Carrington said on the "Off Top" WNBA podcast.
Here's everything to know about Carrington and Smith's relationship during the Sun-Fever first round-series.
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DiJonai Carrington-NaLyssa Smith relationship, explained
The WNBA stars have reportedly been dating since Carrington transferred from Stanford to Baylor for her senior year. Smith was a junior for the Bears during that 2020-21 season.
The Bears finished the season ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 after losing, 69-67, to No. 1 UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. In the last game the two would play as teammates, Carrington and Smith led the Bears in scoring with 22 and 14 points respectively. Additionally, Smith notched a double-double with 13 boards.
Later that year, Carrington was drafted 20th overall in the WNBA Draft by the Sun and earned one of the team's 11 roster spots. Smith would join her in the league the following year, drafted second overall by the Fever. At the end of her first season, Smith was selected to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Since they have been in the league together, the couple has had their fair share of funny moments. This includes a foul between them during a Fever-Sun matchup that went viral for how long Smith held on to Carrington while helping her off the ground.
Just a few days before the two would face off in their playoff series, they arrived at their respective final regular season contests in matching pink sweatsuits. But they styled the sets to their personalities, of course.
or is thisssss @wnba’s power couple 🤔🤔 #BringTheHeat pic.twitter.com/p4xmFdFYZ4
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) September 19, 2024
Fans were quick to notice that Carrington appeared to be wearing an engagement ring with her pink outfit. That led some to speculate she and Smith were planning to tie the knot, but neither have commented on the new jewelry since then.
After the two's first of potentially three games in the first round of the playoffs—which Connecticut won decidedly 93-69—they had a conversation on the court before heading to the locker rooms.
The matchup wasn't without tension between the teams, and some social media users took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a viral video of Carrington and Smiths' postgame interaction.
I don’t think we realize how crazy the idea of 2 opponents going home together in a playoff series because they’re in a relationship is. This the messiest league ever. Lol https://t.co/ME1LyGgk2R
— Hub (@KenHeLive) September 23, 2024
DiJonai Carrington vs. NaLyssa Smith WNBA record
Before the playoffs began, Carrington led Smith, 8-1 in head-to-head battles since Smith entered the league in 2022. This year, Connecticut won its first three matchups against Indiana before the Fever broke an 11-game losing streak against the Sun in late August.
In that game, Carrington led Connecticut in scoring with 19 points on the day, but Indiana's roster was far more productive overall, including 10 and six rebounds points from Smith. Both women earned five fouls in the contest, nearly finding themselves on the bench by the end of the game, an 84-80 win for Indiana.
MORE: Inside the budding rivalry between Caitlin Clark, DiJonai Carrington
DiJonai Carrington-NaLyssa Smith 2024 stats
Both women have started consistently for their respective teams this year, and each is averaging double-digit performances and at least five rebounds per game. That being said, Carrington has far more playoff experience than Smith.
Indiana is making its first postseason appearance since 2016, and Smith — the No. 1 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft — has spent her entire three-year career with the Fever. As a member of the Sun, Carrington has never missed the playoffs in her four years in the league.
Here's how each player fared during the 2024 regular season.
| DiJonai Carrington | Stat | NaLyssa Smith |
| 39 | GP | 40 |
| 12.7 | PTS | 10.6 |
| 5.0 | REB | 7.1 |
| 1.6 | AST | 1.0 |
| 1.6 | STL | 0.8 |
| 0.4 | BLK | 1.0 |
| 1.9 | TO | 1.3 |
| 40.3 | FG% | 48.0 |
| 25.0 | 3P% | 29.2 |
| 79.0 | FT% | 56.7 |
| 2.6 | PF | 2.7 |
MORE: A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese lead league in three key stats
Sun vs. Fever WNBA playoffs schedule
Carrington and Smith face off for the fifth time this season in Sunday's Game 1, which marks the first of up to three playoff contests between the couple in 2024. just one of the players will make it past the first round.
Here's a look at the schedule for the Fever-Sun series in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs.
| Date | Game/results | Time (ET) | TV/live stream |
| Sun., Sept. 22 | Sun 93, Fever 69 | — | — |
| Wed., Sept. 25 | Game 2 at Connecticut | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, Sling |
| Fri., Sept. 27 | Game 3 at Indiana* | TBD | ESPN2, Fubo, Sling |
*If necessary
