Darren Waller and Kelsey Plum were about to be the sports power couple of Sin City.
The newlyweds — who tied the knot in Las Vegas earlier this month — are about to be long distance.
The Raiders traded the tight end to the Giants in a free-agency surprise on Tuesday.
Kelsey Plum and Darren Waller step out in Las Vegas in June 2022.Getty Images
Tight end Darren Waller catches a pass for a touchdown during the Raiders’ game against the Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty ImagesPlum, an All-Star guard with the Las Vegas Aces, is preparing for the 2023 WNBA season, which begins in May.
The trade news comes 10 days after Waller and Plum got married, as noted by The Athletic — which reported that Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels accidentally leaked the news of the couple’s wedding to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Additionally, the outlet said Waller was upset with McDaniels when the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted a story announcing the couple’s wedding date on March 4.
Waller and Plum had not publicly announced their plans to get married.
They have reportedly been dating since last year.
Two weeks prior, McDaniels said the 30-year-old Waller “will be a big part of what we’re going to do going forward.”
Even as the Raiders, who were calling around the league looking for extra picks, shopped Waller for more than a year, according to NFL Network.
Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces attempts a foul shot during a game in July 2022.Getty ImagesWaller is under contract with the Giants for the next four seasons after he signed a three-year, $51 million extension with the Raiders in September.
The Georgia Tech product had back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons in 2019 and 2020, when he made the Pro Bowl.
Waller has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons, totaling just 17 games, appearing in just nine last season, recording 28 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2017, Waller nearly died after overdosing on drugs laced with fentanyl and the Georgia Tech product has been open about his journey to get sober.
As for Plum?
The Under Armour athlete — who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft — had a career year in 2022.
The 28-year-old won her first WNBA title with the Aces; was named the MVP of her first All-Star Game; and secured a gold medal with the U.S. team in the FIFA Basketball World Cup.
Plum averaged 20.2 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.
Robert Griffin III — a former NFL quarterback, who serves as an ESPN NFL analyst — didn’t seem happy with McDaniels after the Waller trade.
Darren Waller hugs Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces in August 2022.Getty Images
Darren Waller looks on before a Las Vegas Raiders game in September 2021.Getty Images“Darren Waller JUST GOT MARRIED to Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and Josh McDaniels’ wedding present was to trade him to the New York Giants,” Griffin tweeted.
“McDaniels is NOT a romantic.”
The Aces are also owned by Raiders owner Mark Davis.
