On the October 25 episode of "SmackDown", Natalya lost against Nikki Bella in a match to determine the captain of the SmackDown women's team at the Survivor Series pay-per-view. However, after Nikki had been attacked backstage before the match, Natalya replaced Nikki but led her team to defeat. At the pay-per-view, Carmella accused Natalya of having been Nikki's attacker at Survivor Series; Natalya denied this for weeks before attacking Carmella on the December 20 episode of "SmackDown" and admitting to having attacked Nikki, revealing her pent-up jealousy of Bella's success over the years. Natalya and Nikki were set to compete in a match on the January 10, 2017, episode of "SmackDown", but the match never officially started due a brawl between the two, where referees came in to break them up. At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 29, Natalya competed in a six-woman tag team match alongside Alexa Bliss and Mickie James against Nikki, Naomi, and Becky Lynch, where her team was defeated after Naomi pinned Bliss. On February 12 at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Natalya faced Nikki in singles competition, which ended in a double count-out. The feud culminated in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the February 21 episode of "SmackDown", in which Natalya was victorious after an interference from Maryse. On June 18 at Money in the Bank, Natalya competed in the inaugural women's Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Carmella following an interference by James Ellsworth.