Latest news with #DejaKelly
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calls Mount for Chicago Sky to Sign WNBA Player Released by Aces
Calls Mount for Chicago Sky to Sign WNBA Player Released by Aces originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky lost to the Indiana Fever on Saturday by a score of 79 to 52, dropping them to a 2-5 record during the 2025 WNBA season. Advertisement While 79 points were the fewest that the team had given up all season, their 52 points were the lowest in a single game for the franchise since 2011 (via CHGO Sky). No player on the Sky scored in double figures, with both Kamilla Cardoso and Rebecca Allen chipping in eight points to lead the team. Chicago also saw Courtney Vandersloot go down with an injury on Saturday just under five minutes into the contest. On Sunday, the team confirmed that the 15-year veteran had torn her ACL and would miss the remainder of the 2025 season. During the preseason, undrafted guard Deja Kelly averaged 12.0 points per game during her two contests with the Las Vegas Aces. She even hit a game-winning shot in the final seconds of their exhibition against the Phoenix Mercury. Advertisement After the news broke about Vandersloot's season-ending injury, Sky fans began to flood the comments and tell the team that they should sign Kelly. "Sign Deja now," one fan wrote. "Get @dejakelly on a contract," another fan responded. "Need her scoring for sure." "Listen to us and get @dejakelly," a fan replied. "@chicagosky sign @dejakelly she 🔥," another said. Former Las Vegas Aces guard Deja Kelly (25).Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images "WE NEED DEJA KELLY RIGHT NOW!!!!!" one fan exclaimed. "@dejakelly please please please," another added. "I love y'all but we need to recover," a fan said. "Please hear us and get Deja on the damn phone😭." "Sign DEJA KELLY NOW," another chimed in. Advertisement Related: WNBA Legend Had Four Words After Unfortunate Chicago Sky News Related: Angel Reese's 2-Word Reaction to Major News on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Released WNBA Player Struggles to Utter a Word in Emotional Statement
With the regular season about to tip off, WNBA teams are finalizing their rosters and facing tough decisions. While each team entered training camp with more than 12 players, league rules allow a maximum of 12 on the roster once the season begins. And several rookies around the league who were either drafted or signed just last month have already been waived. Advertisement Deja Kelly was among them. She spent training camp with the Las Vegas Aces and made the most of her opportunities during the team's two preseason games. In the first, she tallied nine points, six rebounds and an assist. In the second, she hit the game-winning shot and finished with 15 points and two rebounds. Former Oregon Ducks guard Deja KellyBen Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK During a recent episode of "Good Follow," Kelly discussed her time with the Aces. At one point, she became emotional and struggled to speak. "Gosh, I'm getting emotional now," Kelly said. "It was such a blessing because um ... sorry I'm not expecting it, um ... because, it was just a sense of happiness, a sense of joy with that team and again to have all that support, especially after the game, seeing all the love that I was getting on social media. I think that's the toughest part because it can be brutal sometimes and uh ... dang ... I'm so sorry. But, it was an opportunity that I'll forever be thankful to that organization for because it built my character, it built again my foundation for what's to come in the future. You said it. Everything happens for a reason." In college, Kelly played four seasons for the North Carolina Tar Heels before transferring to Oregon for her final year of eligibility. In that last season, she averaged 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Advertisement The 5-foot-8 guard went undrafted in April's WNBA draft before signing with the Aces. Related: WNBA Team Sparks Relocation Rumors Just Days Before First Game Related: Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Reveals Her Relationship Status
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Deja Kelly addresses getting waived by Aces in emotional interview
Deja Kelly addresses getting waived by Aces in emotional interview WNBA free agent Deja Kelly cried after being waived by the Las Vegas Aces but it's not for the reason you think. Ahead of the WNBA draft, For The Win sat down with Kelly as she talked about what she might face by joining the WNBA. "Once you get to the league, it's like, you're quick. You're on a team. You need to figure it out. You have a very short amount of time," Kelly said. The former Oregon Duck was right. After going undrafted, Kelly was picked up by Las Vegas on April 18 and less than a month later she was waived, despite having an overall solid WNBA debut. The young guard recently reflected on her stint with the Aces (including a game-winner against the Phoenix Mercury during A'ja Wilson's A'One Night) during an emotional interview. As she was describing what it meant to her, she held back tears. However, it seemingly wasn't because she was hurt by the move. "I think, first, for me, it just felt like a sense of gratitude," Kelly told Ros Gold-Onwude of the Good Follow. "Attitude of gratitude. Just being able to be on that court in that moment." Here's more from Kelly's interview: "That was one of the best moments of my basketball career, really. And again, for that to be how my W career starts was a such a blessing ... It was just a sense of happiness ― a sense of joy with that team.""It was an opportunity that I'll forever be greatful to that organization for ... You know, just playing with an extra chip on my shoulder. That was my main thing. Just post-draft, that's what I gotta do. Gotta continue to really not prove anyone else wrong, but prove myself right. I know I belong. I know this is where I'm supposed to be." What an intro to the WNBA for Deja Kelly.
USA Today
07-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Duck Deja Kelly makes strong early impression fighting for roster spot in Las Vegas
Former Duck Deja Kelly makes strong early impression fighting for roster spot in Las Vegas Now that's impressive 🔥 Deja Kelly is up to 13 PTS and three straight buckets, coming up hugeeee when it has mattered the most LVA-PHX | Watch FREE on the WNBA App — WNBA (@WNBA) May 7, 2025 The WNBA is a cutthroat league. The limited number of roster spots on every team leads to highly talented college players being cut every year and players having to grind it out each offseason and preseason to try and make the cut. For former Oregon Ducks star Deja Kelly, that grind has become a reality. After being named a three-time First-Team ACC All-American at North Carolina and then leading the Ducks to the NCAA tournament in 2024, Kelly went without hearing her name called in the WNBA draft earlier this spring. She signed a training camp contract with the Aces, and has been practicing and playing in preseason. So far, she's doing a good job of trying to earn a roster spot. Through two games, she's averaging 12 points per game and adding 1.5 assists per game on 75% shooting from the field. Kelly was particularly impressive on Tuesday night in the Aces' preseason win over the Chicago Sky, where she scored 15 points with two assists. More importantly, she came up in the clutch, scoring three straight buckets late in the fourth quarter to help clinch the 85-84 win. That performance was good enough for Kelly to survive the first round of roster cuts. Las Vegas cut down from 16 to 14 players on Wednesday, releasing Queen Egbo and Harmoni Turner. WNBA teams have to cut down to 12 players by the start of the regular season on May 16, and many choose to go with 11-player rosters to allow for more flexibility when it comes to cap space. If Kelly continues to play like she has in the preseason, it's not hard to think that she could make the final roster in Las Vegas. However, with a pair of championships in 2022 and 2023, the Aces are an elite team with a stacked roster, so earning a spot won't come easily. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aces Rookie Deja Kelly Turns Heads With Dramatic Performance vs. Mercury
The WNBA's exhibition season tipped off this month with games across the country and colorful matchups including the Indiana Fever vs. the Brazilian National Team this past weekend. On Tuesday, a new face on the Las Vegas Aces began turning heads among WNBA fans as she showed off her skills in a unique way against the Phoenix Mercury at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Advertisement Deja Kelly, an undrafted rookie out of Oregon, joined the Aces this offseason and is already making an impact. Kelly nailed a high level game-winning mid-range shot on Tuesday night, causing widespread reactions among WNBA and Aces fans on X. Deja Kelly drives the paint against the Duke Blue Devils on March 23, 2025 in Durham, NC. © Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images "DEJA KELLY CALLS GAME!!!" the Aces' official X account wrote along with footage of the stirring play, which capped off an 85-84 Aces preseason win. Kelly accrued averages of 14.7 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game with the Ducks last season. The 5-foot-8 guard played for the Ducks and North Carolina Tar Heels in college, bringing a wealth of experience to the Aces in A'ja Wilson's eighth season. Advertisement Fans were loving Kelly's performance on X as they felt optimistic about her chances of making the team. One fan replied with four goat emojis in celebration of the game winner. "Well done, Deja Kelly," another fan wrote. "You showed you deserve a spot on the Aces roster. Best wishes," they added. "She's gonna be a problem in the league! What a game for her tonight," another said. Related: Kelsey Plum's Pregame Behavior Turns Heads Before Sparks Debut
