Furious Indiana Fans Demand “Trade Her to China” as Not Even 31-Point Game Can Save Caitlin Clark’s Teammate

At first, it was going to be Kelsey Mitchell — the talented veteran who was thought to be leaving Indiana for another team in her free agency. But the Fever executives clearly want her to stay, and fans anyway have another target in the current Fever roster who has been a confounding puzzle piece all season long. And amid calls to trade her away from Caitlin Clark’s side, a new narrative has emerged.

NaLyssa Smith has at times shown the potential she possesses and why she was worthy of being the No. 2 draft pick in 2022. But the 24-year-old has been spotty with offense, and yet, it’s not inconsistent play that has fans annoyed. Rather, it’s her social media posts that seem to be aimed at irking the Fever fanbase, as well as her relationship with Dijonai Carrington, who had a controversial moment with Clark in the playoffs this season.

After her latest victory with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China, where she’s playing overseas and just earned 31 points, the online hoops community has once again descended on Smith to be traded away.

Looks like the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s season, of which Mitchell is also incidentally a part with the Shanxi Flame, is about to get spicier.

Indiana Fever fans don’t want NaLyssa Smith back in 2025 with Caitlin Clark

Thanksgiving has begun in true sports style – a good performance dosed with even better drama. The Indiana Fever’s latest post on NaLyssa Smith seemed innocently aimed at praising their star player in her overseas performance but that’s not how the fans are taking it.

“Getting her trade value up I see what you’re doing😭” one fan posted. Another noted, “Found her level” while one declared, “Trade her to china”.

There have long been calls about Smith to be traded all off-season long, with one opportunity in the upcoming Golden State Valkyries draft clear. The 13th WNBA team, set to debut in 2025, will build up its roster with the existing player base in the W. Each team will have a chance to protect 6 of 12 players and Indiana fans don’t want NaLyssa Smith to be one of the protected.

But a recent post that is now deleted by the Fever’s Instagram showed new HC Stephanie White surrounded by 6 players in an animated drawing. Many assumed it was the protected players because it included Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, Temi Fagbenle, and Kelsey Mitchell. And also Smith, but the fact that it was deleted makes some think it was supposed to be posted closer to Dec. 6, the data of the Valkyries’ draft.

No wonder this latest X post has fans saying things like, “Umm on behalf of Fever fans, can she stay there please. We should leave them where they’re good at 👀Thank you ✌🏻”. Another echoed similar sentiments at the Fever page posting about their player overseas, “Thanks GREAT Stay in Zhejiang NaLyssa!”

One instance of where Smith has seemingly ignited fans deliberately was when one supporter at the beginning of November wrote, “Fever fans having smoke for NaLyssa is so odd. I have not seen one actual solid reason lmao”. Smith replied to that with  “DAWG!!! 🤣🤣” but both responses since then have been deleted.

Another X user then wrote, “REAL Fever fans do not. We love you.” To which the Fever player responded, “& i love yall too <3” It’s clearly not as if the entire fanbase is rallying against NaLyssa Smith and favoring Caitlin Clark blatantly. There’s a reason why the Fever forward was No. 2 in the draft pick two years ago and perhaps also why she wears the No. 1 jersey with the Fever (and in China as well.)

But the latest scuffle with an opposing team member in China, one who shoved her first, seems to only be working in favor of those who want Smith gone. It remains to be seen what Indiana will do but given her potential, it’s unlikely that she gets traded this year.