Not everyone gets to marry their college sweetheart. But Dru Smith is one of those lucky ones. Dru credits his ‘best friend’ of 4 years as the shining light of his life, in good times and especially in bad times. “My rock, you’ve held me up through some really rough times these past couple of years. I love getting to celebrate you because you are so deserving,” wrote the Miami Heat player on his better half’s 28th birthday, showing his immense love and gratitude for his partner.

So, the obvious questions are, who is Dru Smith’s partner? What is her background? How did the couple meet? Let’s find out.

Who Is Dru Smith’s Wife, Marley Miller?

Marley Miller, Dru Smith’s college sweetheart, was reportedly born in Olney, Illinois. According to the annual birthday posts that Dru Smith put out, she was born on March 14th, 1998.

How did Dru Smith and Marley Miller meet?

Dru Smith and Marley Miller reportedly met when both were attending Evansville University. Unsurprisingly, both Smith and Miller were part of the college’s national basketball team. Miller had made a mark on the Evansville Purple Aces women’s basketball as a 5’7 guard. The couple’s wedding website contains several key moments of their relationship, including one of the first dates they went out to. The then-future NBA player was rocking an afro, along with a casual T-shirt and shorts. Miller, on the other hand, wore some ripped jeans along with a pink-maroonish T-shirt. From then on, Smith and Miller went on their first vacation, celebrated Miller’s graduation, and even adopted a dog whom they named Ruby.

Eventually, Smith proposed, and the couple got married on June 12th, 2021. According to the wedding website, Smith’s college teammate, Blake Simmons, was picked to be the Best Man. Similarly, Macie Lively, Miller’s college teammate, was chosen to be her Maid of Honor.

What does Marley Miller do for a living?

Before she got married, Marly Miller reportedly served as a teacher at Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary School in Columbia. It isn’t clear whether she continues to serve in that role.

Before she went into teaching, Miller played for the Evansville Purple Aces women’s basketball team. She was reportedly ‘Redshirted’ for the 2016-17 season due to injury, but returned the following year. Throughout the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 seasons, she played in a combined 59 games, started in 47 of them, and averaged 8.9 points through 3.2-8.6 (36.9%) field goals, 1.8-5.2 (34.4%) 3-pointers, and 0.7-1.1 (66.7%) free throws. On top of that, she also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists. She even ranked third on her team for three-pointers scored in the 2017-18 season, with 43.

Marley Miller’s Background

Before she played for the Evansville Purple Aces women’s basketball team, Marley Miller played one season for Vincennes University. She helped the Blazers to a 29-6 record and a berth in the NJCAA national tournament by averaging 9.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. Miller laid the foundation for her basketball career at East Richland High School. She had a memorable senior campaign, during which she averaged 15.7 points per game. Overall, she accumulated 101 rebounds, 53 steals, and 51 assists. Unfortunately, her senior campaign was cut short due to injury.

Marley Miller’s Instagram

Marley Miller has a public account, which boasts around 3,286 followers. Amongst the people who follow her are NBA star Kevin Love and Austin Reaves’ longtime girlfriend Jenna Barber.

Over the years, she has put out over 251 posts, which range from her outings with Dru Smith, with her other friends, to adorable pictures of Ruby, the couple’s dog. Miller places a strong emphasis on fitness and has a whole set of story highlights containing her workout pics. Another set of story highlights features Smith’s journey through the Miami Heat from her perspective.