Jazz center Walker Kessler saw his girlfriend, Abbie Stockard, win the Miss America pageant on Sunday.
Abbie Stockard, the girlfriend of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, was named Miss America in the 2025 edition of the annual beauty pageant.
Stockard is a nursing student and cheerleader at Auburn University, where Kessler played in 2021-22 before being drafted by Minnesota and dealt to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade.
In a twist of fate, the Miss America pageant was held in Orlando on Jan. 5 — the same date the Jazz were playing the Magic in Orlando (Utah won 105-92). In a video circulating on X, Kessler is seen watching Stockard win the pageant while at dinner with Jazz coach Will Hardy.
Walker Kessler’s girlfriend, Abbie Stockard, won Miss America on Sunday.
Here’s Walker watching her win while at dinner with Jazz head coach Will Hardy.
Tremendous content.
— Kendall Baker (@kendallbaker) January 7, 2025
Stockard was one of 11 finalists for the Miss America crown on Friday before winning the award on Sunday, becoming the fourth Miss Alabama to collect the honors. Winning the award comes with $50,000 in scholarship money and the title of Miss America for the year.
Per Alabama.com, Stockard is specializing in pediatrics and hopes to become a nurse anesthetist. She told the website she did not grow up competing in pageants and didn’t start doing so until she was a 19-year-old freshman at Auburn.
Kessler is often quiet about the relationship but has shared images on his Instagram account about Stockard, including a congratulatory post shortly after her Miss America win.
Kessler is in his third season with the Jazz and is averaging 10.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and shooting 71% overall in a resurgent season. He was an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2022-23 after leading all rookies in blocked shots and ranking No. 4 overall in the NBA.
