"Can this stuff wait till the series is over": Fans react after DiJonai Carrington pens loving message for girlfriend NaLyssa Smith ahead of Game 2

WNBA fans were divided after Connecticut Sun star DiJonai Carrington publicly expressed her love for her girlfriend NaLyssa Smith, who plays for the Indiana Fever. Carrington's heartfelt message came on Tuesday, just one day before Game 2 between the Sun and Fever, set for Wednesday.

The 26-year-old took to Instagram, sharing a photo of a bouquet filled with red roses on her story. It appeared to be a gift from her girlfriend, as Carrington captioned the photo with:

"Thank you sweet girl. I love you @nalyssasmith."

(Credit: Screenshot/DiJonai Carrington/Instagram and Connecticut Sun/X)

Some fans expressed frustration with Carrington for publicly displaying her affection for Smith, given that the two are currently facing off in a highly competitive playoff battle.

"I’m happy for them and they deserve the world and they can choose how they spend their lives…..BUT Can this stuff wait till the series is over at least???," a fan wrote.

Another fan accused Carrington of adding fuel to fire while referencing to the alleged rift between Smith and Indiana coach Christie Sides.

"She knows Nalyssa is in the doghouse with her coach over this situation & still felt the need to add fuel to the fire by posting it for the entire world to see."

A fan called on the WNBA to introduce a policy regarding relationships between players within the league.

"I don't care about a player's orientation ... until it comes to conflict of interest on the court. This is why most companies have policies about not dating coworkers; and if you do, someone has to find other work."

"Clear conflict of interest. You want to trust that no one is giving each other the gameplan but it's also valid to have some hesitations about what is being discussed behind closed doors. This is something unique to women's sports," commented another X user.

A few fans didn't find anything wrong in Carrington receiving flowers from her girlfriend.

"it’s really nobody’s business…they’re grown adults in a real relationship..basketball is their job not their whole lives…she can’t get her flowers just cause they play each other tomorrow??" a fan wrote.

"Her girlfriend is being viciously attacked by Fever fans and the media, she has every right to send her flowers if that’s what makes her feel better," commented another fan.

DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith's post-game moment

In a video that went viral on social media after Game 1 between the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever, DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith were involved an interesting interaction after the game concluded. Carrington glanced at Smith with a look of concern, hoping her girlfriend wasn’t upset with her.

Talking about their performance in Game 1, Carrington scored 14 points and played a role in Connecticut's 93-69 victory. Meanwhile, Smith received just 8:53 minutes after starting the game and failed to score even a single point.