Bria Hartley, the former UConn women’s basketball star, has gotten accustomed to chaos in her basketball career that started way back in 2014 when the Seattle Storm first drafted her. So, when the Connecticut Sun offered a training camp contract just five days before the league’s final roster deadline for 2025, she had no hesitation. Slowly, her impact on a team at the bottom of the league’s overall ranking became quite evident, as she is now averaging nearly 9 points with two rebounds while giving out three assists per game. But it isn’t just her life on the court that’s progressed in 2025!

Who Is Bria Hartley’s Fiancé?

Bria Hartley has been busy in her personal life as well this season. Late in July, Hartley made a major decision and surprised everyone with a social media post announcing her engagement to her boyfriend, Markel Starks. “We decided on forever,” she captioned her Instagram post that featured pictures of the newly engaged couple.

That was quite fitting, as while Hartley played for UConn, Starks played as a point guard for the Georgetown Hoyas from 2010 to 2014 in the Big East. But while Starks went undrafted in the NBA and signed with FMC Ferentino of Italy, Hartley got picked up by the Seattle Storm in 2014 but was traded to the Washington Mystics shortly after.

When the Connecticut standout posted on Instagram, many players across the WNBA—including Brittney Griner, DiJonai Carrington, Kia Nurse, and Saniya Rivers—all left comments under the post. But it wasn’t just the players; the Sun too took to their official account and penned: “She said yes 💍 Congrats to Bria Hartley on her engagement! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special moment.” Adorable, right?

What Is Markel Starks’s Height and Age?

Just like Hartley, Starks has had a keen interest in basketball from the beginning. The 6’2’’ professional basketball player, weighing 79 kg, had been a standout since his high school days at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, where he played under head coach Dwayne Bryant. He was also a top-100 recruit out of Georgetown Prep, ranked 76th by ESPN’s 100.

For the next four years, the Maryland native—born in 1991, now 34—was impressive, averaging 17.3 points per game by the time he left college for the pro league. He even earned First Team All-Big East and Second Team NABC Division I All-District 5 honors. Despite improving his scoring and starting all 33 games for Georgetown, Starks went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft.

What Does Markel Starks Do for a Living?

Despite going undrafted, Starks didn’t give up on basketball. He played for the Detroit Pistons in the Orlando Summer League and for the Timberwolves in the Las Vegas Summer League. But with no NBA opportunities, he signed with Italy, as mentioned above, for the 2014-15 season and then the Cairns Taipans for the 2015–2016 NBL season. Since then, he’s played internationally, most recently in the Turkish Basketball Super League in 2024, and signed a deal with Panionios of the Greek Basketball League in June 2025.

That’s the kind of career Starks has paved for himself with resilience and consistency—something Hartley might have admired. But it’s not just his professional career that’s impressive; the hard work he embodies comes from his roots.

Who Are Markel Starks’s Parents?

Markel was born in 1991 to Anthony and Rae Starks. While there’s limited information about their nationality and ethnicity, he has a brother, Renard, who attended Virginia Military Institute and became the first Georgetown Prep player to be named First Team All-Met. Renard was guided by coaches Dwayne Bryant and Keith Williams, who also played a role in shaping Markel’s early career—Bryant being his high school head coach.

Bria Hartley’s Fiancé on Instagram

Markel Starks’s Instagram handle is @markelstarks, as tagged by Hartley in her engagement posts. He has about 4,990 followers, and his bio reads: “Discipline/Dedication… It takes patience, move slow.” That’s exactly what Bria and Starks seem to be doing—moving step by step. It makes sense, as Bria is focused on lifting her struggling Sun team while Starks is focused on his overseas career.

Still, their engagement makes it clear that wedding bells may not be too far off, though there’s no update on when and where it will happen. One thing is certain: a sweet WNBA love story is in the making.