NBA center Walker Kessler celebrated a significant week marked by both a major career milestone and a personal one, as he became engaged to Miss America 2025 Abbie Stockard. The engagement announcement came just days after Kessler signed a four-year, $130 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Photos shared on social media revealed Stockard showcasing a diamond ring, with a caption indicating their upcoming marriage. Stockard, who was crowned Miss America 2025 after winning the Miss Alabama pageant in 2024, expressed her joy on Instagram. "The greatest surprise!! We’re getting married!!," she wrote, adding, "There’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, doing life together and cheering each other on!"
The couple met at Auburn University, where Kessler played for the Tigers' basketball team and Stockard was a nursing major. Stockard's win as Miss America made her the fourth woman from Alabama to achieve the title. She plans to specialize in pediatric medicine.
Kessler, formerly with the Utah Jazz, was a key player in a trade that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota. During his tenure with the Jazz, he averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. His performance in the NBA made him a valuable free agent, leading to his substantial contract with the Lakers. He is expected to be a central part of the Lakers' new lineup, joining Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, following LeBron James' departure.
"Dating Miss America was not on my bingo card," Kessler reportedly commented on the recent turn of events.