2024-25 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
Kelly, Deja
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG/F
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/ Women's BasketballC
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/ Women's Basketball
Jersey Number 25
Deja Kelly
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- High School:
- Duncanville HS
- Hometown:
- Duncanville, Texas
Bio
AS A GRADUATE STUDENT | 2024-25
Named all-Big Ten honorable mention and to the preseason watch lists for the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation’s top point guard) and Naismith Player of the Year … Started all 32 games for the Ducks, leading the team with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game while finishing second in rebounding at 4.3 a game … Shot 38.6 percent from the floor, 23.8 percent from 3-point range and 71.4 percent from the free throw line … Led the team with 21 games with double-figure points, including nine 20-point scoring efforts … Twice scored a season-high 22 points: at Nebraska on Feb. 19 and at Washington on March 2 … Produced six games with 20 or more points over the last eight games of the season, including consecutive 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament against Vanderbilt (first round) and Duke (second round) … Grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds against Grand Canyon on Nov. 18 and logged 12 games with at least five boards … Recorded her 2,000th career point on Dec. 31 at Northwestern and finished her career with 2,247 points, 564 rebounds, 464 assists and 196 steals … One of two players in the Big Ten to average at least 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio … Set career highs in two-point field goal percentage (41.4), rebounds per game (4.3), assists per game (3.3), steals per game (1.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) … In Big Ten play, averaged 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor … Signed a free-agent contract to attend training camp with the Las Vegas Aces following the 2025 WNBA Draft.
AT NORTH CAROLINA | 2020-21 TO 2023-24
Spent four seasons at North Carolina, where she was a first-team all-ACC selection each of the last three years … Leaves North Carolina in eighth place on the program’s all-time scoring list at 1,858 career points … Led the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2022 … Twice named WBCA all-America honorable mention … Named to watch lists for Nancy Lieberman Award (nation’s top point guard), Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year award … Named to ESPN.com’s top-25 player list in 2022-23 and tabbed as the No. 11 player in the transfer portal by ESPN.com’s Charlie Creme … One of five players named USBWA National Player of the Week on Jan. 23, 2024 … Led North Carolina in scoring for the third straight season in 2023-24 at 16.3 points per game, her third straight year producing over 16.0 points a game … Started 120 of 121 games played over four seasons, averaging 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from the 3-point line … Started all 33 games for the Tar Heels in 2023-24, with her 16.3 points per game ranking ninth in the ACC … She added 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals a game while shooting 34.6 percent from the floor … Set a career high with 235 free throw attempts, with her 163 made free throws ranking fourth in a single season in UNC history … Finished in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including 11 20-point scoring efforts with a season-high 29 coming against Virginia Tech … As a junior in 2022-23, named WBCA all-America honorable mention and all-ACC first team … Starting all 32 games, she averaged a team-best 16.5 points and 35.4 minutes a game, ranking sixth in the ACC in scoring and fifth in minutes … Named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason watch list (top 30) and Midseason top-25 watch list for the Wooden Award … Earned ACC player-of-the-week and tournament MVP honors after leading UNC to the Phil Knight Invitational title in Portland … Earned WBCA all-America honorable mention and all-ACC first-team honors as a sophomore in 2021-22 after leading UNC and finishing fourth in the ACC at 16.5 points per game … Named to the Greensboro Regional all-tournament team after leading the Tar Heels to the Sweet Sixteen, where she scored a team-high 21 points against South Carolina … Started 23 of 24 games as a freshman and was voted to the ACC’s all-freshman team and all-ACC academic team … Twice named ACC Freshman of the Week and one of five freshmen named to the ACC’s Newcomer of the Year watch list.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played her prep ball at Duncanville High School, where she was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-American … Named 2019-20 Gatorade Texas Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Texas Player of the Year by MaxPreps and USA Today … Rated as a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 10 recruit in the 2020 class by espnW … Led Duncanville to the 2020 Texas 6A state title where she was named tournament MVP … Earned WBCA Coaches’ and Jersey Mike’s Naismith National High School All-America honorable mention … Three-time all-state and four-time all-region selection … Played for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup where she won a silver medal in Leon, Mexico.
Graves on Kelly: Deja is a game-changer. She is a prolific scorer and such a unique talent who elevates everyone around her. She is a really skilled ball-handler who can create her own shot and create for teammates, but she can also play off the ball and knock down the three while also playing great perimeter defense. Her basketball IQ, drive and work ethic are second to none. She is a tremendous leader with high character who will make an immediate impact on our program.
Named all-Big Ten honorable mention and to the preseason watch lists for the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation’s top point guard) and Naismith Player of the Year … Started all 32 games for the Ducks, leading the team with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game while finishing second in rebounding at 4.3 a game … Shot 38.6 percent from the floor, 23.8 percent from 3-point range and 71.4 percent from the free throw line … Led the team with 21 games with double-figure points, including nine 20-point scoring efforts … Twice scored a season-high 22 points: at Nebraska on Feb. 19 and at Washington on March 2 … Produced six games with 20 or more points over the last eight games of the season, including consecutive 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament against Vanderbilt (first round) and Duke (second round) … Grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds against Grand Canyon on Nov. 18 and logged 12 games with at least five boards … Recorded her 2,000th career point on Dec. 31 at Northwestern and finished her career with 2,247 points, 564 rebounds, 464 assists and 196 steals … One of two players in the Big Ten to average at least 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals with a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio … Set career highs in two-point field goal percentage (41.4), rebounds per game (4.3), assists per game (3.3), steals per game (1.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8) … In Big Ten play, averaged 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor … Signed a free-agent contract to attend training camp with the Las Vegas Aces following the 2025 WNBA Draft.
AT NORTH CAROLINA | 2020-21 TO 2023-24
Spent four seasons at North Carolina, where she was a first-team all-ACC selection each of the last three years … Leaves North Carolina in eighth place on the program’s all-time scoring list at 1,858 career points … Led the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2022 … Twice named WBCA all-America honorable mention … Named to watch lists for Nancy Lieberman Award (nation’s top point guard), Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year award … Named to ESPN.com’s top-25 player list in 2022-23 and tabbed as the No. 11 player in the transfer portal by ESPN.com’s Charlie Creme … One of five players named USBWA National Player of the Week on Jan. 23, 2024 … Led North Carolina in scoring for the third straight season in 2023-24 at 16.3 points per game, her third straight year producing over 16.0 points a game … Started 120 of 121 games played over four seasons, averaging 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from the 3-point line … Started all 33 games for the Tar Heels in 2023-24, with her 16.3 points per game ranking ninth in the ACC … She added 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals a game while shooting 34.6 percent from the floor … Set a career high with 235 free throw attempts, with her 163 made free throws ranking fourth in a single season in UNC history … Finished in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including 11 20-point scoring efforts with a season-high 29 coming against Virginia Tech … As a junior in 2022-23, named WBCA all-America honorable mention and all-ACC first team … Starting all 32 games, she averaged a team-best 16.5 points and 35.4 minutes a game, ranking sixth in the ACC in scoring and fifth in minutes … Named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason watch list (top 30) and Midseason top-25 watch list for the Wooden Award … Earned ACC player-of-the-week and tournament MVP honors after leading UNC to the Phil Knight Invitational title in Portland … Earned WBCA all-America honorable mention and all-ACC first-team honors as a sophomore in 2021-22 after leading UNC and finishing fourth in the ACC at 16.5 points per game … Named to the Greensboro Regional all-tournament team after leading the Tar Heels to the Sweet Sixteen, where she scored a team-high 21 points against South Carolina … Started 23 of 24 games as a freshman and was voted to the ACC’s all-freshman team and all-ACC academic team … Twice named ACC Freshman of the Week and one of five freshmen named to the ACC’s Newcomer of the Year watch list.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played her prep ball at Duncanville High School, where she was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-American … Named 2019-20 Gatorade Texas Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Texas Player of the Year by MaxPreps and USA Today … Rated as a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 10 recruit in the 2020 class by espnW … Led Duncanville to the 2020 Texas 6A state title where she was named tournament MVP … Earned WBCA Coaches’ and Jersey Mike’s Naismith National High School All-America honorable mention … Three-time all-state and four-time all-region selection … Played for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup where she won a silver medal in Leon, Mexico.
Graves on Kelly: Deja is a game-changer. She is a prolific scorer and such a unique talent who elevates everyone around her. She is a really skilled ball-handler who can create her own shot and create for teammates, but she can also play off the ball and knock down the three while also playing great perimeter defense. Her basketball IQ, drive and work ethic are second to none. She is a tremendous leader with high character who will make an immediate impact on our program.
Kelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
