Rachael Kirkconnell Calls Out Sports Announcer Who Wrongly Claimed Matt James Was Single 'a Good 10 Times'
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Rachael Kirkconnell is making sure everyone knows Matt James is definitely off the market!
The 25-year-old joined her boyfriend at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta over the weekend as the former Bachelor star played in the Monster Energy Big3 Celebrity Game.
Posting a video of James, 30, making a shot to her Instagram stories on Monday, Kirkconnell said the sportscaster could be heard several times during the game announcing, "Ladies, he's single!"
"Anytime Matt would do something, announcer: 'Ladies, he's single'" she wrote over the clip. "like what?!!?! literally a good 10 times."
As fans know, James is not single. He and Kirkconnell have been dating since 2021 following a brief but public breakup after season 25 of The Bachelor.
Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram Matt James playing in the Monster Energy Big3 Celebrity Game
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Despite the awkward moment on Monday, that didn't stop Kirkconnell from enjoying the basketball event.
Earlier in the evening, the reality star shared a photo with her sister Trinity, who also attended the event. She also posted some more clips of James on the court showing off his basketball skills.
"Matty got to play in the Big3 celeb game this weekend! I love being a bball gf!" she captioned one of the clips on her Instagram Stories.
In another video, Kirkconnell captured James going head-to-head on the court with NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who was the opposing team's captain.
"he didn't stand a chance," she joked underneath the clip. "@gronk 'and one' lmaooo"
Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram
James also shared the moment to his Instagram, which showed him guarding Gronkowski before the retired NFL tight end dribbled the ball around him and successfully made a shot.
"POV: Getting bullied as an adult 😂🤷🏾♂️" joked James, who was a wide receiver for the Wake Forest University football team, in the caption of the video.
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Monday wasn't the first time that Kirkconnell embraced the supportive girlfriend role amid James' athletic endeavors.
In April, the reality star praised James on Instagram after he ran the Boston Marathon.
"Hey you! i love you & I'm SO proud of you," she captioned a sweet photo of herself snuggled up to James. "This man is currently in the middle of the Boston marathon running for @theuso and he is crushing it. please pray for him & all the runners for their safety, strength, and encouragement."
"UPDATE: he CRUSHED it and set a personal record!!!!" Kirkconnell added to the post.
Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James
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Kirkconnell and James first met and fell in love during his Bachelor season, which aired in January 2021. Kirkconnell received the final rose for that season but during the After the Final Rose special, the couple revealed that they split following backlash Kirkconnell received over her past racially insensitive actions resurfacing.
James then confirmed to PEOPLE in April 2021 that he was "pursuing" a relationship with Kirkconnell after the pair was spotted out together in Los Angeles and New York City sparking reconciliation rumors.
In May, he told PEOPLE of their newly-rekindled romance: "The best thing for us was to remove ourselves from the show, from everything. It felt like the world was against us. Some people felt like the situation was blown out of proportion and others felt like it hadn't gotten enough attention. We were just trying to enjoy each other and grow our relationship without having to deal with people we didn't even know weighing in."
Paras Griffin/Getty Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell
During that same interview, James also explained how the couple's ups and downs had helped them become stronger, especially as they look towards the future together.
"I've learned a lot. And at the end of day, everything that we've been through has prepared us for the future," he explained. "We still just try to operate in our own lane. People are moving in, others are engaged... that stuff doesn't really matter to us. What matters is having a solid foundation and being able to communicate and care for each other."
"We're not worried about pleasing everyone," he added. "It's not about checking boxes. it's about finding someone you're compatible with and focusing on that first."
