"CHRISTIE SIDES, I STILL WANNA TALK": NaLyssa Smith's brother takes brutal dig at former Fever coach after WNBA championship win

On Friday, NaLyssa Smith won her first-ever WNBA championship when the Las Vegas Aces completed a 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury in the Finals. It's a time of celebration for the Aces organization, but someone near and dear to Smith opted to bring up a controversial figure from her recent history.

Following the Aces' 97-86 victory over the Mercury, Rodney Smith II went on X to settle a score with one of NaLyssa's former head coaches.

"AND CHRISTIE SIDES, I STILL WANNA TALK," Smith II tweeted.

The mention of Sides' name during this period of celebration is interesting, as Smith's experience with the former Indiana Fever head coach took a turn for the worse last year.

In the first few months of the 2024 season, Smith was a prolific competitor for the Fever, logging a good number of double-doubles for the team that had drafted her two years prior. After the Olympic break, however, the former Baylor star saw her playing time going down. Along with this, her numbers on the stat sheet took a dip.

Back then, Smith's brother Rodney criticized the change in the Fever's minutes, urging Sides and the front office to trade NaLyssa "if you don't want her." Not too long after, the Fever were eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs.

In January 2025, Smith was shipped off to the Dallas Wings in a three-team deal that had Sophie Cunningham moving to Indiana. Months later, she was traded yet again, this time to a team hoping to make waves in the playoffs.

The Aces ended up winning it all in the 2025 Finals, and while Smith had her finest moment yet in the league, her brother could not help but take a shot at a coach from a low point in NaLyssa's career.

NaLyssa Smith shares snapshot with girlfriend DiJonai Carrington after Game 4 victory

Another key figure in Smith's life is her girlfriend DiJonai Carrington, who shared a moment with the Aces forward despite her season-ending injury.

A viral clip shows Smith posing with the Minnesota Lynx guard, whose left foot injury abruptly concluded her postseason.

Smith and Carrington briefly played together in Dallas this season before they went their separate ways. Carrington was dealt to a powerhouse Lynx team while Smith ended up with the eventual WNBA champions.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado