Despite New York Giants Trade, Couple Darren Waller & WNBA Star Kelsey Plum are Handling Their Marriage Perfectly

Following their March 4 wedding in Las Vegas, guard Kelsey Plum of the Aces and tight end Darren Waller of the Giants experienced a rapid change in life.

After their honeymoon in Amanyara in Turks & Caicos, the Pro Bowler and WNBA champion were ecstatic as they flew back to Las Vegas on March 13.

They had no idea that Waller would be making a trip to the East Coast to speak with the Giants after they had acquired him in a trade with the Raiders 12 hours later.

“I got that call like 12 hours after we landed back,” When talking about his collaboration with Invisalign, Waller told The Post. “So, it’s not how anybody would really want to start being married.

“But if you ever find yourself trying to resist change, it’s never going to be a good thing.”

Waller and Plum, who had previously shared a city, have accepted their current circumstances as Plum pursues her second consecutive WNBA championship with the top-seeded Aces and Waller fits in with the Giants’ system.

“We are trying to find [out] like, OK, how can we grow from this?” the 31-year-old said. “This is happening for a reason, so why don’t we focus on the good that’s going to come from it as opposed to what may be considered as negative?”

Since they are in different time zones and have hectic schedules, communication is essential for the couple.

“[The distance] has forced us to grow in areas [such as] communication and just being mindful of each other’s days and routines and how each of us is doing amidst all the business — and I feel like we’ve done really well in handling that,” Waller said.

“Every opportunity that I get to be able to be where she’s at, I take advantage of those and I’m excited to just be around her. If it’s not that, then it’s us FaceTiming pretty much every night, and that’s about all we got to work with at the moment.”

Following a FaceTime call from Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen informing Waller of the trade, Waller made an effort to spend as much time as possible with Plum throughout the offseason.

“I was going to wherever my wife was every other weekend in the offseason from April to June, and then I was home for a month before camp,” During the long Labor Day weekend, Waller noted while also mentioning that he was back in Las Vegas with Plum.

“Whenever I have the opportunity to do that, my butt is in the seat.”

When the Brooklyn Aces take on the New York Liberty, Waller attends his wife’s games as well. Plum, who won the 2023 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge in Las Vegas alongside Chelsea Gray of the Aces, may show up in person to cheer on Waller when the Giants come to San Francisco on “Thursday Night Football.

“The Aces defeated the Chicago Sky in a best-of-three matchup in the WNBA playoffs’ first round, and they will now face the Dallas Wings, who defeated the Atlanta Dream in a best-of-five matchup, starting on Sunday. The guard who was named to the first team of the WNBA was complimented by Waller for her path to victory.

“People pretty much know that my story has been one of a lot of adversity and kind of responded to it,” remarked Waller, who has been candid about his history with addiction.

“But hers is the same way, [in terms of] her career not starting with at the rate that expectations would have expected her to and then tearing her Achilles. But since that [injury], her game has just continued to expand and grow and she’s a certified star and she’s earned every bit of it.”

When Plum, the first overall choice in the 2017 WNBA draft, tore her left Achilles in June 2020, she was unable to play in the “Wubble” season. When she returned to the floor, she came off the bench and went on to have a great year that saw her earn the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award and place second in the WNBA Most Improved Player voting. At the Tokyo Olympics in June 2021, Plum also brought home a gold medal for Team USA.

“She’s the probably the best well-conditioned athlete I’ve seen, male or female — ever,” Waller said. “And then just the detail with which she goes about her routine, from how the schedule is set up, to what she’s doing in each and every one of those sessions.“It’s no surprise whatsoever as to why she’s so successful and she doesn’t just roll out of bed and it just happens. She’s locked in.”

Due to some loose lips last year, Waller and Plum’s relationship—which apparently began last year—became widely publicized. Josh McDaniels, the head coach of the Raiders, and Dave Ziegler, the general manager, are said to have leaked the wedding days in advance despite the pair not having publicly announced their intention to wed.

Robert Griffin III, a former NFL quarterback, made light of the fact that McDaniels had traded Waller to the Giants as his wedding gift in a post on X (then Twitter), to which Plum responded.

“Prolly cause he wasn’t invited to the wedding lol,” The two of them were “so excited” for Waller to come to New York, Plum added in another Instagram post.

Due to knee and hamstring ailments, Waller only participated in nine games last season. For quarterback Daniel Jones, who he said has been nothing but welcoming, the seasoned receiving tight end is a major weapon now that he is mostly healed. Over the course of the first two games, Waller has nine receptions for 112 yards, including a performance of six receptions for 76 yards in the 31-28 victory over the Cardinals.

“We’re just two guys willing to put the work in, two guys that aren’t too proud to listen to one another and do whatever needs to be changed, fixed or altered, we’re willing to do that,” Waller said. “I feel like it translated from day one of OTAs on the field all the way through training camp — just the consistency with which we both approach the craft. “I feel like it’s been a great relationship and he’s been just a welcoming guy, a good friend. He’s a fun guy to be around. He’s funny, but he also knows how to put the work in.”

Waller pledged to stay loyal to himself and maintain his optimistic outlook despite whatever difficulties he may face with the Giants and in the future.

“I’m going to give my all and everything that I have and step out with a smile on my face, whether things are going good or when things are going bad,” he said. “I also want people to know that I represent a lot of different causes — whether it’s gaining confidence through a smile because of Invisalign … or through my foundation.

“I do a lot of things because, you know, I don’t know how much more how much longer I’m guaranteed to be on this earth. So I want to be about things that I care about, and whatever it is I’m doing, I’m going to give my all.”

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Despite New York Giants Trade, Couple Darren Waller & WNBA Star Kelsey Plum are Handling Their Marriage Perfectly

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