Charles Barkley hilariously responds to Utah Jazz star Walker Kessler’s girlfriend Abbie Stockard’s Miss America win: “You can say War Eagle”

Charles Barkley couldn’t help but humorously react to the recent victory of Abbie Stockard, girlfriend of NBA player Walker Kessler. Stockard was recently crowned Miss America. During a lighthearted moment at Inside the NBA show, Barkley referred to the popular "War Eagle" chant which is a nod to Stockard’s Auburn University roots. His witty comment quickly caught the attention of fans while celebrating Stockard's win. Barkley also shared that he is proud of her achievement.

Abbie Stockard, the girlfriend of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, was crowned Miss America 2025 on Sunday. A few days later, NBA legend Charles Barkley, also an Auburn alumnus, humorously reacted to the big moment.
Stockard’s glorious moment got traction again as it happened to be one of the subjects of discussion during Tuesday’s TNT broadcast Inside the NBA. The crew addressed the moment which propelled Barkley to respond. "You can say War Eagle,” Barkley said, adding, "I'm proud. No. 1, shout out to my home girl. I wish I knew where she was from."

The Hall of Famer went on to add that his hometown has several talents. "I told you, boy, we've got good-looking women and brains down there," he added.
Stockard, who was a cheerleader and nursing student at Auburn, represented Alabama in the competition, which took place at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida. She defeated Miss Texas, Annette Addo-Yobo, to claim the title. Kessler, who met Stockard during his sophomore year at Auburn, watched the pageant’s finale with Jazz coach Will Hardy. In a now-viral clip, Kessler was seen standing up, appearing stunned by the result, while Hardy tried to hype him up, "Oh, she won! Let's go!"

Kessler also added a heartfelt post on social media celebrating Stockard’s stunning accolade. "Congratulations, Abbie! I am so proud of you and everything you stand for," Kessler wrote on Instagram sharing a series of photos from the ceremony.
"Your hard work and trust in the Lord have awarded you with this incredible opportunity! Use your light to shine on others around you! Love you,” he added.
The comment box of the post was filled with stunning reactions. Kessler's teammate, Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh commented, "most emotion I've ever seen from walker." Isaiah Collier also commented, adding four fire emojis. Stockard took to her own Instagram story sharing the post with a caption writing, "This is my favorite."
On July 26, 2024, Kessler posted a birthday message for Stockard on Instagram revealing in the caption that they share the same birthday. "I wouldn’t want to share my day with anyone else. You are a truly special girl that never fails to make me smile," he wrote.
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Certainly, it has been a huge moment for both Stockard and Kessler. The NBA star currently averages 10.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists with a 71 field goal percentage. In their recent 124-121 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on January 7, Kessler added 21 points and 10 rebounds.