Getty WNBA star Kelsey Plum (left) and New York Giants tight end Darren Waller (right).
New York Giants tight end Darren Waller has openly contemplated retirement throughout the 2024 offseason.
And if he does choose to call it a career, much of his free time would presumably be spent with his wife, WNBA star Kelsey Plum. That is, until “a petition for divorce was filed in Clark County for Kelsey Christine Plum and Darren Charles Waller” on Tuesday, April 23, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and ESPN, among others.
Shortly after the news, Plum posted cryptically on X.
“I’m devastated,” Plum began. Continuing: “I walked through fire for that man, but now I see it’s time to go. God has given me an incredible life, and I’m truly so grateful for the profound love from my family and friends.”
“One day I’ll share my story, today is not that day,” the Las Vegas Aces guard went on. “Thank you for the grace to process my pain, to forgive and move forward. Today and everyday I will continue to choose joy.”
She concluded the post, “much love KP,” with the bible verse Philippians I:6.
According to Bible Hub, the English standard version of this verse reads: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
NFL & WNBA Fans React to Kelsey Plum’s X Post
There’s no way to know for sure what Plum meant by this post — and whether or not it’s directed at Waller when she refers to “that man” — but the public statement turned heads, nonetheless. Plum’s post immediately blew up on social media with over four million views and 15K likes in approximately two hours, and fans were quick to comment their thoughts.
“I’m so sorry Kelsey, whatever happened just know we are all here for you and love you 🥺❤️,” one user responded.
“What did you do Waller??!!” Another questioned, speculating on the tight end’s involvement.
“We love you KP🤍🙏🏼,” a third reply voiced. And a fourth said: “His Loss. Baby, heads up.”
Many also joked about Waller “fumbling” on and off the field, while the top-liked reaction read: “Posting a breakup on Twitter is crazy work.”
To reiterate, it is not clear if Plum’s post was related to Waller, her marriage or the decision to file for a divorce. Waller has not been active on X since December 13, 2023.
Giants Giving Darren Waller Time to Make Retirement Decision — & He’s Taken It
The Giants have elected not to put a hard deadline on Waller’s retirement decision, and he’s taken his time deciding whether or not he’d like to return for the 2024 campaign.
“There’s still no word from the 31-year-old if he plans to return or retire,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan updated on April 19. Relaying: “[Giants general manager Joe] Schoen said he’s been in communication with Waller’s agent and is hoping for a decision ‘in the short term,’ but said the team hasn’t issued a deadline.”
During an exclusive with Duggan and The Athletic that was published on March 7, Waller admitted that he’s still “undecided” on his future.
“It’s really the idea of signing up for another journey,” he explained. “It’s tough, it’s long, it requires a lot. And if you’re not fully bought into every single thing of the process, it’s going to be tough. I feel like at the end of the day, you’re doing guys a disservice if you’re not all the way in.”
Within that interview, Waller made it clear that this isn’t a money situation or a question of whether or not he can still get the job done. He did acknowledge that several battles with injuries have factored into his thought process, however.
“I’m in the middle. It could go either direction,” he concluded in March. “It’s just putting everything down and being like, ‘What are the real pros and cons of going on this journey again, and what do I really want out of it?’ I don’t feel like I’ve arrived at the point where it’s like the concrete answer that I can be like, ‘All right, that’s my truth.’”
Waller has hinted that he will likely make a decision before mandatory minicamp in June but did not say if he’ll decide before the upcoming NFL draft.