NaLyssa Smith hasn’t endeared herself much to Indiana Fever fans this week, and if one of her Instagram comments is any indication, she may be ready to move on.
The third-year Fever forward posted a photo of herself sitting in a purple car on Friday, June 14. That was innocuous enough, but it was the comments section that turned heads. UConn guard Paige Bueckers commented on the post with three fire emojis. Smith replied, “Purple look good on us.”
Those five words sent fans into a frenzy as they quickly connected the dots: Bueckers is the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s WNBA Draft. The new expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, could have the top pick. Their primary team color is purple.
Could this mean that Smith wants out of Indiana and would like to join Bueckers in the Bay Area?
Some believe that to be the case. One fan replied, “making this comment right out in public mid-season is…something.”
Another added, “whatever, I’m burning ur jersey now.”
NaLyssa Smith Has Some Fans Frustrated
Smith first caught the ire of Fever fans last week when video surfaced on June 7 of her and Caitlin Clark interacting in practice. Smith could be seen grabbing Clark by the arms, moving her around.
Clark walked away from the incident with a smile, signaling everything was good between the two, but some fans took exception to the rough treatment anyway.
A few days later, the Fever played at the Connecticut Sun. That’s when Sun player Dijonai Carrington bumped into Clark and picked up a foul. Given how light the contact was, Carrington seemed to indicate Clark had flopped by mimicking her in the seconds after the call.
After the game, video showed Smith and Carrington embracing, then posing for photos together — something else that angered Clark fans.
When Carrington called out Clark in a post on X, implying that the phenom is not bothered by her name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, and homophobia, she only solidified herself as Public Enemy No.1 in Clark Country.
Then Smith began a Dijonai Carrington for Defensive Player of the Year campaign.
Never mind that Smith and Carrington played together at Baylor, have a romantic history, and at minimum are still close. Some fans are calling for her benching anyway.
With that level of constant criticism, it’s understandable that Smith may be looking to move on from the media circus that is the Indiana Fever, whether you’re on her side through all of this or not.
Can Paige Bueckers and NaLyssa Smith End Up on the Valkyries?
Can they? Yes. Will they? It’s far from guaranteed. The WNBA has not announced yet how it will determine where the Valkyries pick in the 2025 Draft. The last time the league expanded in 2008, the new Atlanta Dream ended up with the fourth overall pick, before trading that pick down.
There’s also no guarantee that Bueckers is the No. 1 pick. Injuries have plagued the UConn senior since high school. Most recently, she missed most of her sophomore year with a knee injury and her entire junior year with an ACL injury. If Bueckers stays healthy, it would be a shock to see her go anywhere but first overall, but her health is far from guaranteed.
As for Smith, she has a team option for next season, but if the Fever do not pick it up, she will be a free agent. She won’t command the maximum salary but will be highly sought-after. It’s also possible she can find a better situation than an expansion team that, even with Bueckers, will probably need a few years before it can contend.
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