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Paige Bueckers’ Teammate Shares Emotional Admission After Wings Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Through 18 games, the Dallas Wings have struggled to find consistency, entering July with a 5‑13 record, ranking last in the WNBA's Western Conference.

No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers has injected some optimism, averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, earning her a starting spot in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, only the 10th rookie in league history to do so.

Yet those bright spots haven’t translated to wins.

In the midst of a challenging season in Dallas, guard DiJonai Carrington paused to share a raw moment of vulnerability on social media.

Carrington posted a TikTok video on Tuesday showing herself alongside her girlfriend, forward NaLyssa Smith, accompanied by the caption, "#drafts cuz I miss her already irl ❤️‍."

The clip arrived one day after Smith was traded from Dallas to the Las Vegas Aces for a 2027 first-round draft pick.

@dijonaicarrington
#drafts cuz I miss her already irl ❤️‍ #fyp #wnba
♬ original sound - Dj Tyree

Carrington entered the league as a second‑round pick by the Connecticut Sun in 2021, quickly developing into one of the WNBA's premier two-way wings over her first four seasons.

In 2024, she was named the Kia WNBA Most Improved Player and earned All‑Defensive First Team honors, averaging a career‑high 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

After being traded to Dallas in February, she’s continued to deliver on both ends, posting 11.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 14 games.

Off the court, Carrington is also known for her activism in racial justice and gender equity, and for brand partnerships with Reebok and One Size Beauty.

Smith, meanwhile, entered the league in 2022 as the No. 2 overall pick by the Indiana Fever and made the All‑Rookie First Team after helping Baylor win the 2019 NCAA championship as a freshman.

Over three seasons in Indiana, she averaged 13 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game before getting traded to Dallas to play alongside her girlfriend Carrington.

This season, she averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game before her move to Vegas.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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