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WNBA veteran Nalyssa Smith was traded by Dallas Wings to Las Vegas Aces, and she was obviously blind -sided by the deal after responding to social media.
“Sick to my stomach dawg, never seen this coming, but .. I love you Dalla’s nation, thank you 4 everything,” she wrote on X, after the news about the trade came out.
It was announced on Monday that ACES acquired Smith, who has fought this year, for a first round in 2027.
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Dallas Wings Frem Nalyssa Smith (1) and Guard Dijonai Carrington (21) look at the team bench during the first half against Washington Mystics at the College Park Center. (Jerome Miron/Imag- Pictures)
The wings have been fighting this year and owned a 1-11 record, and Smith has not done well with his new team. She was an average of 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds, both careers low, over 18 games.
Smith was acquired by the wings in a trade outside the season with the Indiana fever as Dallas tried to build a better watch list around Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. Unfortunately, the movements did not pan and Dallas was quick to get assets back in return.
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It is also worth noting that Smith was playing with his girlfriend, Dijonai Carrington, who also joined the wings this season. They were teammates earlier in Baylor and have had a relationship ever since.
Carrington simply posted a broken heart emoji on x as the news fell, followed by a separate post with pictures of himself and Smith on and off the field.
However, Smith followed up in her post and explained her shock with some positivity as she went against Las Vegas.
“On another note tho [sic] If I could have chosen anywhere to go it would have been vegas then hella excited 4 this new opportunity vid [sic] My goat, “Smith wrote on X.
Dallas Wings Guard Dijonai Carrington (21) will be held by Dallas Wings Frem Nalyssa Smith (1) after a play during the match against Chicago Sky on May 31, 2025 at College Park Center in Arlington, TX. (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While Smith did not specifically say who she considers her “goat”, it is a reasonable guess to say that it is three-time WNBA MVP and two-time league champions A’Ja Wilson, who leads Aces in his eighth season since he was taken # 1 overall out of South Carolina in 2018.
Meanwhile, Smith No. 2 was a total choice of the fever in 2022, where she made WNBA all-rookie first team after an average of 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds over 30.7 minutes per day. Match. She ended up in third place in the Wnba Rookie of the Year vote.
For the first time in his career, Smith played less than 20 minutes with Dallas, but maybe it will change now with Las Vegas.
Nalyssa Smith #1 and Dijonai Carrington #21 by Dallas Wings posing for a portrait under WNBA Media Day on May 7, 2025 at the College Park Center in Dallas Texas. (Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
ACES are currently seventh in the WNBA position and fifth at the Western conference with an 8-8 record to start the year.
Smith’s supposed first match with her new team will be against her former team as the fever hosts the aces on Thursday night in Indianapolis.
