It was in late July that a video posted by Jalen Duren left the internet in a frenzy. It showed the Pistons star enjoying a beautiful sunset view from a sea side resort. But what caught everyone’s attention was that just hours before that video went public, WNBA star Angel Reese shared an image of herself in a similar backdrop, wearing pink Chanel shades and a matching Gucci swimsuit. Sure enough, the online detectives speculated that Duren and Reese were in the same location, sparking their dating rumors.

Although neither athlete publicly acknowledged the relationship, the rumors continued to escalate. That was until Reese shut them down by claiming on her podcast in September that she was single. Let’s dive deeper into how it all transpired.

Did Jalen Duren date WNBA star Angel Reese? A look into the rumors

As expected, the speculations of Duren and Reese vacationing together over the summer caught fire after their viral posts. Less than a month later, the Chi-Town Barbie added more fuel to that buzz by posting a video wearing a Pistons hoodie, who many believed belonged to Duren. Despite the hints, neither Duren nor Reese confirmed the relationship. Apart from Jalen, the Chicago Sky forward was also linked to rapper G Herbo following her public breakup with Florida State star Cam’Ron Fletcher back in March.

Yes, Angel never addressed the Duren rumors directly. However, she hinted at it during a September episode of her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast while discussing her love language, “Probably quality time. And that’s hard too because I kinda only, well I only mess with athletes… I usually date basketball players.” In another episode, she revealed her type while looking for a boyfriend, “He got to be tall. 6’7” 6’8”. Yeah NBA.” Of course, Angel herself is 6’3” and the only men meeting her height requirement are more often than not basketball players. Well, Duren also fits the criteria as he is 6’10”. So, he might very well have been one of the men Angel was referring to while talking about her dating history.

Even if Duren and Angel were dating over the summer, they are likely not anymore because the WNBA star clearly responded “I am” to her co-host’s question “Are you single?” back in September. Moreover, netizens pointed out that the two hoopsters have also unfollowed each other on social media, further fuelling their breakup rumors.

Additionally, Reese also called out The Shade Room for sparking the vacationing rumors with Duren, “I can’t go on these dates. Private room? I’ve seen the math. Somebody posted on The Shade Room. Five minutes the person walks out and the next five minutes the other walks out and they recorded both and tried to put two and two together. Same background so they’re at the same place. Nah. I’ve been called like that before though. Vacation and like.” Meanwhile, Duren has remained tight-lipped about the whole situation. If Angel is in fact single like she claims, what about Duren’s relationship status?

Who is Jalen Duren dating now? Is the Pistons Center single?

As it turns out, Duren has decided to keep his personal life private amid the recent rumors, and neither his social media nor any reports reveal his current relationship status. So, it is safe to say that he is single following his alleged fallout with Angel.

Maybe, the Pistons star is solely focused on hooping and becoming a valuable asset for his team. After showing significant improvement during his sophomore year, his numbers have dropped this season as he is averaging only 9 points and over nine rebounds. Moreover, the Pistons are still nowhere close to being legitimate contenders as they are ranked tenth in the East. Surely, the Pistons would be hoping for young stars like Duren to step up their game and spark a turnaround. And that would require the Center to avoid distractions such as the Reese dating and breakup rumors, and remain completely focused on the game. That could be the reason he chooses to keep his dating life private.

Meanwhile, Angel has also decided to do the same after realizing the consequences of having a public relationship, “That’s how I am right now. I don’t want my dating life to be out there… I keep relationships private now because I’ve been in relationships where I go to the comments and all I see is my name on the comments. Why?… They feel like they’re entitled to know everything about our business. I can go to a game and just cheer for the team!”

Sure enough, both Reese (22) and Duren (21) are in the early stages of their career and have very high ceiling. All they need to do now is to remain focused and keep improving their game while ignoring the outside noise.