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In the classic movie Love & Basketball, Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan play basketball players who have a tumultuous relationship that starts with his star on the rise but ends with her career superseding his. It was 25 years ago, but the themes of the movie and its preview of the growing popularity of women’s basketball still resonate.
There have been a few cutesy real-life love and basketball couples since then – Angel Reese was once boo’ed up with Florida State player Cam’Ron Fletcher but the couple broke up in 2024. But a new hoops hookup has quietly moved into the forefront, and half of the WNBA power duo is more openly admitting they’re together.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, the league’s reigning MVP, and Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo have been spotted together several times, but each has been coy about their relationship. They were seen together at the Paris Olympics when Adebayo attended the women’s final after securing a gold medal for the men’s team. After the game, they exchanged handshakes to the seeming amusement of Adebayo’s teammate, LeBron James, standing nearby.
The rumored couple was more public after Wilson was awarded the MVP and Adebayo tweeted, “U’nanimous,” on his social media accounts.
More clues emerged in September when Wilson attended Adebayo’s ceremony when he received the key to the city of Miami.
In her speech, Miami-Dade mayor Daniella Levine Cava said, “A’ja Wilson, she won gold in women’s basketball. I guess that has something to do with Bam and the Heat being here today.”
When Wilson’s jersey was retired by the South Carolina Gamecocks last month, Adebayo flew across several states to be there, after a monster game that sharp-eyed viewers said he worked hard to end early so he could make it.
And after Wilson’s new signature Nike shoe, the A’ One, dropped Adebayo was spotted wearing a custom pair to a game on Jan. 25.
“If I have to put it out in the NBA, why not have someone like Bam Adebayo, who’s just a good person all around, to kind of showcase my shoes,” Wilson said at the All-Star Game in San Francisco last weekend, “so I was thankful he was able to wear it.”
Apparently, despite keeping their relationship as publicly quiet as two sports superstars can, Wilson decided to share a trickle of confirmation when asked about her Valentine’s Day plans.
“My plans are here at NBA All-Star,” Wilson said. “My NBA All-Star is not here,” she said of Adebayo not making the 2025 All-Star team, later adding the silver lining, “And that’s the best Valentine’s gift that I can truly give him, is just the rest.”
But Wilson clammed up after being asked whether or not she and Adebayo are claiming each other.
“I mean….,” she said.
By now, we can figure out that the two ballers are at least hanging out. And the rest ain’t really our business. But, like the movie, we’ll just hope there’s a happy ending in sight.
See how social media is reacting to the (possible) couple below.