Cooper Flagg has made it official. For weeks, there were rumors of him and Duke women’s basketball star Arianna Roberson being in a relationship. She was present when Flagg claimed the ROTY over his college teammate Kon Knueppel, sitting next to his parents. The pair had kept their relationship under wraps while the number one pick focused on maximising his rookie season with the Mavericks. But they are finally out in the open, as a proper Duke basketball couple.
Roberson, the sister of former Thunder forward Andre Roberson, shared a few TikToks from their vacation in Turks and Caicos. The videos featured Flagg and her skipping through outfits during their luxurious getaway. Those were the first signs. Roberson initiated the announcement, and her boyfriend is following along.
Cooper Flagg resorted to more subtle means of launching their relationship to the public. He posted an Instagram story, a picture of the couple sharing a kiss. The Mavericks star attached two black hearts just to make sure the news really gets through to everybody.
Their story is unclear. The pair haven’t openly spoken about how their relationship took off. Roberson and Cooper Flagg were both basketball stars for Duke during the 2024-25 campaign. Flagg had a historic season, winning Naismith Player of the Year honors while solidifying himself as the best prospect in the country. Roberson also arrived with great promise as a five-star recruit. Sadly, she suffered a knee injury that sidelined her for her freshman season.
She didn’t disappoint in her official rookie season with the Blue Devils. The 20-year-old center averaged 8 points and 5.7 rebounds in just 17.8 minutes. Roberson has also represented Team USA during the 2024 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup, where she helped the team to a gold medal finish.
It seems the pair decided to focus on their basketball commitments first, while still maintaining their relationship. Coming into the spotlight too early would create unnecessary distractions and media interruptions. Since they both jumped into new beginnings, the couple took their sweet time before proudly declaring their love for each other.
Cooper Flagg excited for sophomore growth
Cooper Flagg’s rookie season was nothing short of sensational. He made history, becoming the first teenager to score 50 points in an NBA game. As the season progressed, the Mavericks’ rookie kept getting better. He figured things out, showing his basketball instincts and innate feel for the game. The star mantle walked up to Flagg, and not the other way around.
However, even with the Rookie of the Year trophy to show, the 19-year-old is preparing to take another leap during his sophomore season in the NBA.
“I’m going to work on a lot of different things. There is always room for improvement in every area of the game. I think there is a ton of growth that I can make offensively, off the dribble and making reads at a high level. I’m excited to just get in the gym, especially with some of the guys, and continue to learn and grow in a lot of different areas,” said Flagg.
As a raw prospect, Cooper Flagg is well ahead of most second-year players in the league. He entered as an elite defender, versatile to guard multiple positions. And he’s started to find his spots on the court to be a consistent 20-point scorer. That’s likely going to see an uptick once Flagg works on his three-point shot and polishes his gifts even more in the gym.
For now, he’s getting much-deserved rest. The relaxation on vacation is to unwind from a tough season for the Mavericks. But once the soreness goes away, Flagg will attack training with the focus of turning Dallas into a winning franchise again.
