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UNC basketball star Deja Kelly is forging her own legacy

(Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Deja Kelly knows what she wants and is not afraid to speak it into existence.

The University of North Carolina sophomore star has been planning out her basketball career since middle school, meticulously preparing for her collegiate campaign and eventual turn in the WNBA. For Kelly, it has never been a question of if, but rather when she will make her dreams a reality, on and off the court.

The Texas native first made waves as an emerging teenage guard out of Duncanville High School. Named to the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Team and awarded the 2020 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Kelly established herself as one of the best high school players in the country. With the hype came offers from a wide range of elite Division I basketball programs.

“Being a top-ten recruit comes with a lot — I had schools from all over the country recruiting me,” Kelly tells Just Women’s Sports.

“Growing up, I saw a lot of other top recruits pick a school just for their name or for what they would do for their image. With me, I was really strategic in my recruiting process, and I wanted to go to a school where I could build my own name, I could build the program up, I could set my own legacy at the school eventually and win some championships of my own, instead of going to a school that was already established.”

Courtney Banghart, who took over as head coach at UNC in 2019 after turning around Princeton’s program, played an integral role in Kelly’s decision to sign with the Tar Heels. Banghart earned Kelly’s trust during the recruiting process, telling her that together they could “be the start of something special” and bring the “program back to life.”

In her first year in Chapel Hill, Coach Banghart made good on her promise to the 5-foot-8 guard. “I came in, I had to do a lot. I had to make a real big impact from the jump,” Kelly says. “Most of the time, the ball was in my hands.”

As a freshman in 2020-21, Kelly averaged 11 points, 2.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 23 starts, embracing her role as lead facilitator and earning a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

“I like to call myself a playmaker,” she says. “I am not just a scorer, I am not just a passer. I can do both.”

Now in her second season, Kelly is harnessing the lessons she learned as a first-year. Her game has improved in nearly every statistical category from her freshman to sophomore season, in part because of a shift in mentality and in part because she’s been given the green light to make plays from the one and two positions as the focal point of UNC’s offense. Through 15 games for the 14-2 Tar Heels, Kelly is averaging 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds. In UNC’s win over ACC foe Clemson on Jan. 2, she notched a career-high 31 points on a season-high five 3-pointers, showcasing her evolution as a shooter.

“Individually, I am really looking at expanding and growing on my range, my 3-point range and my defense,” says Kelly, who’s shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc this season, up from 31 percent in 2020-21.

As a team, UNC is playing an exciting, fast-paced form of basketball, getting out in transition and beating teams on the break. Their game plan is dependent on getting defensive stops, an area where Kelly says she and her teammates have been locked in.

“If we keep learning and keep being dedicated to growing and not being content at where we are at right now, I think we can make a lot of noise once tournament time comes,” she says.

UNC’s only two losses this season have come against ranked opponents NC State and Notre Dame. Despite their record against top teams, Kelly says the team is not intimidated by marquee matchups, especially in the competitive ACC. Left off of the AP Top 25 preseason poll, the Tar Heels have gone undefeated at home and 4-2 in their conference to earn a No. 20 ranking in the latest AP poll.

As UNC gears up for a gauntlet to close out January — with games against Virginia (on Thursday), No. 18 Georgia Tech, No. 21 Duke and No. 4 NC State — Kelly is already thinking about March. Fifteen years have passed since UNC last made a Final Four run, a streak the sophomore is determined to rectify.

“That’s exactly what I came here to do, is to bring this team back to the Final Fours, Sweet 16s, Elite Eights, just to put more banners up in our gyms,” she says.

The 2021-22 season has been a watershed one for women’s basketball in a number of ways. Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has yet to affect UNC’s game schedule as dramatically as it has for other teams, Kelly and her teammates have had to balance increased isolation with typical student life.

“It’s definitely hard. You are basically locked in a bubble of just you and your teammates and your coaches,” says Kelly, adding that the team’s chemistry has helped them weather the challenges.

Another new, albeit positive, normal that Kelly and student-athletes have had to navigate is the NIL landscape. For the first time this season, college athletes have been able to profit off of their name, image and likeness, opening the door for lucrative partnerships and corporate deals.

Kelly has embraced opportunities off the court, signing with WME Sports for NIL and marketing representation in the fall of 2021. The partnership has given her the chance to bolster her personal image, a project the 20-year-old has worked on with her mom since she was a young hooper. She doesn’t just think about branding in the conventional sense, but also as a chance to show what she stands for. NIL, to her, is a key step toward “getting collegiate athletes what they deserve.”

“When people hear Deja Kelly, I just want them to just think of a really loving and caring basketball player who off the court is a beautiful woman who knows what she wants and is really goal-oriented,” Kelly says.

Inspired by Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kelly looks to the WNBA star’s career as a blueprint for her own. Having spoken with the Phoenix Mercury guard a few times, Kelly says she admires Diggins-Smith’s confidence and the fact she always “[keeps] it real.”

“She is a beautiful woman who carries herself as such, and she is a businesswoman, she’s a mom, a wife and a killer on the court,” Kelly says. “She knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to go and get what she wants.”

Kelly already shares in her idol’s ambition and unwavering confidence, declaring with certainty that she will play in the WNBA, something she has aspired to for as long as she can remember.

“When I have my mind set on something, I won’t stop until I get it,” she says.

Before Kelly gets too preoccupied with her professional future, she remains focused on the second half of UNC’s season, and the chance to prove that she and her team are national contenders.

Clare Brennan is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Top Tennis Stars Crash Out of Wimbledon in the First Round

US tennis star Coco Gauff reacts to her 2025 Wimbledon first-round loss to Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff fell to Ukraine's unseeded Dayana Yastremska in the first round of 2025 Wimbledon on Tuesday. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

The grass court chaos of Wimbledon didn't disappoint this week, as the unpredictable surface claimed more than one surprise victim in the 2025 Grand Slam's first round.

A full 10 of the London tournament's 32 seeded players fell in the competition's first round, including four of the WTA's Top 10: World No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Qinwen Zheng, and No. 9 Paula Badosa.

"I should just play no tournaments, get no wins, then roll into Wimbledon, and maybe I'll have better results," US star Pegula joked after her two-set Tuesday loss to Italy's No. 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, referencing her recent wins.

Gauff's short Wimbledon outing also represented a new challenge for the 21-year-old standout, as the top-ranked US tennis player struggled to bounce back after winning the 2025 French Open last month.

"I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards," Gauff told ESPN. "So I didn’t feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it."

The upsets continued as Wimbledon entered its second round on Wednesday morning, claiming several more seeded players like world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 15 Diana Shnaider, though both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded fan favorite Naomi Osaka cruised into the Slam's third round on two-set wins.

No. 8 Madison Keys now leads the US contingent, with fellow US contender No. 12 Amanda Anisimova joining the 2025 Australian Open champion in snagging their own two-set, second-round victories on Wednesday.

How to watch the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

Second-round play at the 2025 Wimbledon women's singles tournament continues on Thursday, as seven US players — including No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 28 Sofia Kenin — look to advance to the competition's third round.

Live continuous coverage of the London Grand Slam airs on ESPN.

USWNT Faces Rivals Canada in Final Summer Friendly

USWNT players Alyssa Thompson and Sam Meza eye the ball during a June 2025 training camp.
The USWNT will face Canada in their final summer friendly on Wednesday. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT will close out their summer international break against a familiar foe on Wednesday night, facing North American rival No. 8 Canada for the first time this year.

"It's never friendly, you know? It's always like a final," US midfielder Sam Coffey told media earlier this week. "We all know each other super well."

"I'm really excited to be a part of it again for our younger, newer players," she continued. "I think it's going to be a huge learning opportunity on what representing this crest means."

The Northern neighbors are the USWNT's most frequent opponent, with the US entering the pair's 67th meeting with a 53-4-9 all-time record against Canada.

Wednesday's matchup will also mark Canada's first US clash under new head coach Casey Stoney, who joined the team in January following her abrupt June 2024 dismissal by the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.

As for US boss Emma Hayes, she'll be looking for yet another refreshed set of starters on Wednesday after swapping out all 11 players between the team's two friendlies against Ireland last week.

"It's a testament to players and staff alike that we can rotate to different groups like we did last game, and everybody's understanding [the tactics] to varying degrees," Hayes said on Tuesday.

With months to go before the next USWNT camp in October, Wednesday's showdown serves as the last chance for bubble players to prove their worth, all while the team aims to cap the summer window with a big win over their longtime rivals.

How to watch the USWNT vs. Canada on Wednesday

The USWNT will cap their three-friendly summer break against Canada at 7:30 PM ET in Washington, DC.

Live coverage of the clash will air on TNT.

Indiana Upsets Minnesota, Wins WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Without Clark

The Indiana Fever celebrate and lift the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy.
The Indiana Fever upset the Minnesota Lynx to win the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever lifted their first trophy since 2012 on Tuesday night, winning the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup with a 74-59 upset victory over reigning Cup champs Minnesota — all while injured star guard Caitlin Clark watched from the sidelines.

To snag the win, Indiana leaned on balanced scoring, with forward Natasha Howard's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double leading the Fever's five double-digit shooters.

At the same time, the Fever employed a shutdown defense, limiting the Lynx to their lowest point total of the season.

Beyond the $500,000 payout, Tuesday's win gives the 8-8 Fever a momentum boost as the team continues contending with both high-profile departures and the limited availability of their floor general.

"We have a resilient group, you know?" Indiana head coach Stephanie White said after the game. "They're tough, mentally and physically, they pull for one another. I'm just really proud."

"It felt good to get a win under gut-check circumstances," echoed guard Kelsey Mitchell. "To have so much going on and still stay consistently for each other, it was beautiful. It felt really amazing."

As for the league-leading Lynx, the Commissioner's Cup loss won't impact Minnesota's regular-season WNBA standings — and they’ll hope to build on the learnings from last night's ego blow.

Minnesota also has a bit of history one their side, as the last two Commissioner's Cup runners-up went on to win the WNBA Championship in the same year.

"We have to take this game to heart and learn from the mistakes we made, the way we showed up, the way we prepared, and make sure we don't do it again," said Lynx center Alanna Smith.

How to watch the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx this week

Neither 2025 Commissioner's Cup contender will have much time to reflect on Tuesday's game, as both Indiana and Minnesota will dive back into regular-season WNBA play on Thursday.

The Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 PM ET, airing on Prime, before the Washington Mystics visit the Lynx at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on WNBA League Pass.

Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on WNBA Expansion

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham speaks to reporters before the 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham expressed concern about the new WNBA expansion cities. (David Dow /NBAE via Getty Images)

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham turned heads on Tuesday, criticizing the latest WNBA expansion plans in light of ongoing WNBPA CBA negotiations.

Cunningham drew ire from some fans after expressing skepticism about the WNBA awarding expansion teams to Detroit and Cleveland over other possible cities, while also suggesting that the league might be growing too quickly.

"You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play?" she told reporters ahead of Indiana's Commissioner's Cup win. "I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast."

"It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland]."

Elsewhere, Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally also voiced her expansion concerns on Tuesday, calling on the WNBA to keep player support at the forefront when adding expansion teams.

"We really have to put an emphasis on the players that are in our league right now," she told reporters. "Maybe focus on the teams that find excuses continuously to lack investment in their players before we focus on adding more to the grain of people that can't really be sustained."

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