Cooper Flagg Bio: Family, Ancestry, Girlfriend, Net Worth

Who is Cooper Flagg?

Cooper Flagg is an American Gen Z professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks who was selected as the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Born on December 21, 2006, in Newport, Maine, he became one of the most decorated college basketball players in recent history during his freshman year at Duke University.

He earned consensus first-team All-American honors and consensus national player of the year recognition after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. The 18-year-old small forward began his high school career at Nokomis Regional High School before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he won multiple national high school player of the year awards.

He played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, becoming the youngest player to win the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Award at age 15. He signed endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade before entering the NBA.

Early Life

Cooper Flagg was born on December 21, 2006, and raised in Newport, Maine, in a family deeply rooted in basketball. His mother, Kelly Flagg, played college basketball at the University of Maine in the late 1990s, where she was team captain as a senior. Her 1998-99 team made program history by winning UMaine’s first-ever NCAA tournament game, upsetting Stanford University. The team was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

His father, Ralph Flagg, played NJCAA basketball at Eastern Maine Community College. Cooper’s parents, Kelly and Ralph, met shortly after college and bonded over their love of basketball, so that they began dating, and eventually got married in the early 2000s.

Cooper has a fraternal twin brother named Ace and an older brother named Hunter. In 2004, his mom Kelly went into premature labor at 24 weeks while pregnant with twins. Hunter survived after spending 109 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, but his twin Ryder died two days after birth.

Kelly stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Portland, Maine, refusing to leave without Hunter. After several cycles of IVF, Kelly became pregnant with Cooper and Ace, who were born on December 21, 2006.

Cooper grew up spending countless hours in the gym with his father. He told Blue Devil Nation that late nights and early mornings with his dad, Ralph, rebounding for him shaped his development as a player. The Flagg household was intensely competitive, with games in the driveway often ending with someone bleeding and running inside to their mother.

And, speaking more of family, Cooper’s last name Flag has English roots traced back to Northwestern Europe, which is to say that Cooper is European with English ancestry.

Cooper Flagg attended Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, where his older brother Hunter was a senior during his freshman year. He became the first freshman to be named Maine Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 10 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 3.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. He led Nokomis to the Class A state championship, scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 43-27 victory over Falmouth High School in the state final.

Cooper transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, at the end of his freshman year. His twin brother Ace also transferred to Montverde, and their family relocated from Newport to Florida to support both sons. Before his first season at Montverde, Cooper played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League for the Florida Eagles, an AAU team affiliated with the school. He received his first NCAA Division I scholarship offer from Bryant University while in eighth grade.

During his time at Montverde, Cooper was named MVP of the 2023 Hoophall Classic after scoring 21 points with five steals, five rebounds, and three assists in an 85-63 victory over La Lumiere Academy. After his sophomore year, he played for Maine United in the EYBL and averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 6.9 blocks in seven games at the Peach Jam tournament. He reclassified from the 2025 recruiting class to 2024 after his sophomore year.

In his final high school season, Cooper averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game while leading Montverde to a perfect 34-0 record and the program’s eighth national title. He was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball USA, and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year. He graduated from Montverde Academy in 2024, skipping his senior year to attend college.

Wiki Summary

• Real Name: Cooper Flagg
• Birthday: December 21, 2006
• Birthplace: Newport, Maine
• Age: 18 years old
• Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
• Current Residence: Dallas, Texas (NBA season)

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Girlfriend

Cooper Flagg’s girlfriend is Lola Ressler. The two met while attending Montverde Academy in Florida and have been dating for several years. They attended prom together in 2023, which sparked initial dating rumors among fans. When Cooper’s final high school season results were announced in July 2024, Lola took to Instagram to praise him, writing “You’re amazing!”

Lola Ressler is a college soccer player at Wake Forest University. She announced her verbal commitment to Wake Forest on April 1, 2023, on social media, writing:

“I am so extremely honored and excited to announce my verbal commitment to play soccer at Wake Forest University! I am so grateful to all who have helped me along the way and I couldn’t have done it without the enduring sacrifice and support from my mom, dad, brother, sister, coaches, teammates, and friends. So excited to continue the work and the journey! #godeacs.”

While Cooper attended Duke University, Lola played soccer at Wake Forest, making them rivals in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Neither has publicly confirmed their relationship on social media with shared photos, though Lola frequently posts content on her Instagram to engage her followers.

She recently shared a post about her time with the Wake Forest team with the caption: “Baby deac season on rewind ⏮️🎩.” And, as of today, Cooper Flagg and his girlfriend, Lola Ressler, are very much still together.

Body Measurements

• Height in Feet: 6 feet 9 inches
• Height in CM: 206 cm
• Weight in KG: 93 kg
• Weight in Pounds: 205 lbs
• Ethnicity: White (European with English ancestry)
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Dark brown
• Skin Tone: White

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Career Timeline

Cooper Flagg began attracting national attention during his freshman year at Nokomis Regional High School in 2020-21 when he became the first freshman to win Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. He played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup at age 15.

He averaged 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.9 blocked shots, and 2.4 steals per game as the U.S. won gold. He scored 10 points with 17 rebounds, eight steals, and four blocked shots in a 79-67 win over Spain in the final.

He was named to the All-Tournament Team and became the youngest player to win the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Award in 2022.

After transferring to Montverde Academy, Cooper averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and three assists per game in his first season. Following his sophomore year in 2023, he reclassified from the 2025 recruiting class to 2024.

He was ranked as the second-best prospect in the 2025 class after the FIBA tournament, then became the top-ranked recruit in the 2024 class after reclassifying. He scored 60 points in a game at Rucker Park in summer 2023.

On October 30, 2023, Cooper verbally committed to Duke University, choosing the Blue Devils over UConn. He had initially planned to announce on October 27 but delayed the announcement following the 2023 Lewiston shootings in his home state of Maine. He signed his National Letter of Intent on November 8, 2023.

He enrolled at Duke in June 2024 to participate in summer practices and signed endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade before his freshman season, becoming the first men’s college basketball player sponsored by Gatorade.

Cooper made his college debut against Maine on November 4, 2024, scoring 18 points with seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in a 96-62 win. On January 11, 2025, he delivered a record-breaking performance against Notre Dame, scoring 42 points with six rebounds and seven assists.

He shot 11-of-14 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and 16-of-17 from the free-throw line, setting new freshman scoring records for both Duke and the ACC.

Cooper Flagg led Duke to a 19-1 conference record and the ACC regular season title. He left the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on March 13, 2025, with a sprained ankle but Duke won the tournament championship. As the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament East region, Duke advanced to the Final Four.

On April 5, Cooper scored 27 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in a 70-67 loss to Houston in the Final Four. He finished his freshman season averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Cooper was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, National College Player of the Year, Lute Olson Award winner, Julius Erving Award winner, Wayman Tisdale Award winner, and NABC Freshman of the Year.

He joined Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Jahlil Okafor as the only players in ACC history to win both Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. He declared for the 2025 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

The Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft on June 25. He was signed on July 2, 2025. In his NBA regular season debut on October 22, 2025, he recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds, and one steal in a 125-92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Mavericks fans have started a tradition of shouting his last name during the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the lyric “that our flag was still there.”

Net Worth

Cooper Flagg’s net worth is estimated at $4.8 million. His NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) valuation reached $4.8 million according to On3’s estimate, making him the highest-earning college basketball player and sixth overall among NCAA athletes. This represented a significant increase from the $2.6 million valuation he had before playing his first Duke game in October 2024.

His wealth comes from multiple sources including his endorsement deal with New Balance, which he signed prior to his freshman year at Duke. His decision to choose New Balance was influenced by the company’s ties to Maine, with two factories located near his hometown of Newport. He also became the first men’s college basketball player to be sponsored by Gatorade, adding another major endorsement to his portfolio.

As the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Cooper signed a rookie contract that can pay up to 120% of the rookie scale. His four-year rookie deal with the Dallas Mavericks is projected to be worth $62,730,226.

According to Spotrac founder Michael Ginnitti, if Cooper earns two All-NBA selections or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year during his rookie contract, he could be eligible for a supermax extension worth 30% of the salary cap, potentially reaching $359 million over five seasons starting in 2029.

A subsequent supermax extension at 35% of the cap could be worth $509 million from 2034-2038, bringing his total career earnings to approximately $930 million by age 31.

Social Media Stats

• Instagram: @cooper_flagg | 1.7 million followers
• TikTok: @cooperflagg | 200,000 followers | 460,000 likes
• Twitter/X: @Cooper_Flagg | 45,000 followers

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FAQ

How old is Cooper Flagg? Cooper Flagg is 18 years old. He was born on December 21, 2006, making him one of the youngest players ever selected first overall in the NBA draft.

How tall is Cooper Flagg? Cooper Flagg is 6 feet 9 inches tall (206 cm) and weighs 93 kg (205 pounds).

Is Cooper Flagg dating anyone? Yes, Cooper Flagg is dating Lola Ressler, a soccer player at Wake Forest University. They met at Montverde Academy and have been together for several years.

What college did Cooper Flagg attend?Cooper Flagg attended Duke University for one season (2024-25) where he was named National College Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year as a freshman.

What is Cooper Flagg’s net worth?Cooper Flagg’s net worth is estimated at $4.8 million, primarily from his NIL valuation and endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade.

Who are Cooper Flagg’s parents?Cooper Flagg’s parents are Kelly and Ralph Flagg. Both played college basketball, with Kelly playing at the University of Maine and Ralph at Eastern Maine Community College.