Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg made a return to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday night for Duke‘s dominant 101-64 win over Syracuse – but it wasn’t just the scoreline that caught fans’ attention.
Flagg, who led Duke to the Final Four last season before being selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was seated courtside next to Adrianna Roberson, a center for Duke’s women’s basketball team. Social media quickly lit up with speculation about the identity of the woman sitting beside him.
Roberson, a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman, is also the younger sister of former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Andre Roberson. During the game, Flagg and Roberson were seen chatting over a stat sheet together, fueling further online chatter.
In additional videos circulating online, Roberson was seen leaving the court area alongside Flagg and his former Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.
Over the weekend, Flagg, Maluach and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor also attended Duke’s 67-54 win over the Clemson Tigers in Durham.
Flagg, however, wasn’t just making headlines for his courtside appearance. The 6-foot-9 forward was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left leg at both games. He reportedly suffered a mild foot sprain during Dallas’ 138-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 7, just before the All-Star break.
Despite the injury, Flagg has been impressive in his rookie campaign, averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists across 49 games while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from three-point range.
The Mavericks are scheduled to return to action against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 20. Meanwhile, No. 3 Duke (24-2) will face No. 1 Michigan at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
Latest update on Cooper Flagg’s injury
According to The Stein Line, the Dallas Mavericks received encouraging news after Flagg underwent an MRI on his injured foot. The imaging revealed a left midfoot sprain, and the organization reportedly feels fortunate that the injury was not more severe.
There is still no firm timetable for the 19-year-old’s return, but the diagnosis has eased fears of a long-term absence. Flagg has continued to progress throughout the season, emerging as a key piece for Dallas.
Without him, however, the Mavericks have struggled. The team has dropped nine consecutive games and currently sits 12th in the Western Conference with a 19-35 record, underscoring just how valuable Flagg has become in his first NBA season.
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