WNBA love feud explodes as NaLyssa Smith fires back at DiJonai Carrington's cheating claims

LAS VEGAS — A former college teammates' dispute has spilled onto social media, putting two WNBA players at the center of a public feud that's now drawing attention far beyond basketball circles.

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington took to Threads this week to accuse former Baylor teammate NaLyssa Smith of a multi-player cheating scandal, naming Aces teammate Deja Kelly and Atlanta Dream guard Aaliyah Nye as other women allegedly involved. The accusation came roughly a year after their relationship ended.

Smith, a forward for the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, responded in a Twitch livestream Sunday night, refusing to confirm or deny the romantic allegations while questioning Carrington's decision to make the dispute public.

"Whether she cheated on me and I cheated on her, why are we bringing that to the internet a year later when nobody did anything to anybody?" Smith said during the broadcast. "Whether she cheated on me or I cheated on her, that has nothing to do with anybody. That don't even make sense. And to bring it to the internet a year later, is crazy. Just for fun? That's ridiculous, especially when you're in a happy, healthy relationship."

Smith expressed particular concern about the impact on players who had no involvement in the personal dispute.

"Then, to bring up folks' names that have nothing to do with anything," she said. "These folks is minding their business. These folks woke up to this on a random Sunday night with these type of allegations. I think that's very weird."

Smith described an in-person confrontation at a social event that preceded Carrington's social media outburst. According to Smith, Carrington initiated an argument that escalated to the point where security personnel had to intervene.

"Here goes DiJonai. 'You talkin to that b—ch. You talkin to that b—ch,'" Smith recalled. "I'm like 'Why I gotta be a b—ch?' Literally on my grandmother's grave, I'm like 'Damn why I gotta be a b—ch.' That's how the whole thing started. So then security comes and he's like 'Alright y'all gonna have to leave.' Mind y'all, I'm the victim."

Smith also pushed back against claims that she had shown up uninvited to monitor Carrington's activities.

"I didn't do none. I'm sitting on the couch posting, minding my business. I didn't do nothing to nobody," she said. "The fact that people are trying to create this narrative of 'Lyss came somewhere uninvited and she came here just to spy on folks'—y'all gotta stop all that lying."

Smith suggested that alcohol and peer influence may have contributed to Carrington's public allegations.

"I guess the liquor, the cameras, her crowd—I guess she got some type of, somebody boosted her up to gain some confidence," Smith said. "But at the end of the day, that was some bulls—t. We came to the spot. Folks was chilling. Nobody did nothing to nobody."

The two players, who won a national championship together at Baylor University before entering the WNBA, will face each other on the court August 1 when the Aces visit Chicago to play the Sky.

Neither Carrington nor representatives for Carrington, Kelly, or Nye have publicly responded to Smith's livestream comments as of Monday afternoon.