The Oklahoma City Thunder's season came to a heartbreaking end Saturday night, falling 111-103 to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. For Chet Holmgren, it was a night he'd rather forget — but his girlfriend made sure he knew she still had his back.
Holmgren finished with just four points and four rebounds, struggling mightily against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs' defense. The loss sent San Antonio to the NBA Finals while OKC heads home wondering what could have been.
But amid the disappointment, Holmgren's girlfriend, Emilia Scarlett, took to her Instagram Story during the game to show her support. She posted messages backing both her boyfriend and the entire Thunder team, making it clear she stands by him no matter what the box score says.
Scarlett's public show of loyalty comes as Holmgren faces heavy criticism online for his performance. The 7-foot-1 big man was dominated by Wembanyama throughout the series, and Game 7 was no exception.
Holmgren himself acknowledged the team's shortcomings after the game. “Down the stretch we gave ourselves a chance, we fought really hard, we just weren’t able to put enough plays together to make it happen. A couple of our shots didn’t go down. … We just weren’t able to convert,” he said. “I’m going to have to go back and watch the tape, but I feel like we were able to get to a lot of really good spots, and we moved the ball well … we just weren’t able to convert enough of them into points.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also came to Holmgren's defense, emphasizing that the big man contributed in ways that don't show up in the stat sheet. “That’s not all on him,” Daigneault said. “I actually thought he played his minutes pretty well. You know, I thought that run at the end of the second quarter that got us back going and cut into the (lead), I mean, he was a huge part of that in ways that may not be in the box score visibly.”
This isn't the first time a girlfriend has stepped into the spotlight for a struggling athlete. Earlier this year, Jaxson Dart's girlfriend stole the show at Miami Swim Week, and Daniel Jones' girlfriend turned heads in a blue swimsuit. But Scarlett's support is different — it's about loyalty in the face of defeat.
Holmgren's struggles in Game 7 were part of a larger pattern in the series. He was consistently outplayed by Wembanyama, and the Thunder's offense often stalled when he was on the floor. Still, Daigneault insisted that Holmgren's overall body of work this season shouldn't be overshadowed by one bad game.
“At the end of the day, it’s always about us trying to win a basketball game. Us as a collective, the Thunder team trying to win the basketball game. And that’s what’s it’s always going to be,” Holmgren said postgame, refusing to make excuses.
As the Thunder head into an offseason of reflection, they can take solace in knowing that Holmgren has a strong support system — both on the court and off it. Scarlett's public backing is just one example of the kind of loyalty that can help a young star bounce back from a tough loss.
