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Former University of North Carolina and current Oregon point guard Deja Kelly graduated high school as a part of the iconic class of 2020 that produced WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as other incredibly talented prospects currently tearing it up in their respective franchises and colleges.
Kelly finished high school as the No. 10 ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100, winning quite a number of accolades and stuffing the stats sheets.
Deja Kelly kicked off her high school career at the Lady Bird Johnson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where she spent the first two years of her high school career. In her freshman year, Kelly delivered an average of 19.2 points, 3.1 assists and 3.4 steals per game. She won the San Antonio Express-News Newcomer of the Year for her performance.
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Kelly's performance only got better in her second year, averaging 27.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She also made the San Antonio Express-News Super Team that year.
Deja Kelly transitioned to Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, for her junior and senior years. She made an immediate impact at Duncanville, averaging 16 ppg. Her performance was crucial to the Panthers Class 6A State Championship victory. She was even named District 8-6A Offensive MVP.
Kelly and the Duncanville Panthers went on to win the Class 6A State Championship again in her senior year. This time, she averaged 23.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game. She won the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year award and the SportsDayHS Player of the Year award for her performance that season.
Kelly was then named to the McDonald's American Game roster, as well as the Jordan Brand Classic. However, these two events didn't take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic at the time.
Kelly was recruited by UNC, where she played college basketball for three years before transferring to Oregon.
Deja Kelly Committed Texas Longhorns in Seventh Grade: A Look Back at Deja Kelly's Recruitment
Even before her freshman year at the Lady Bird Johnson High School, Deja Kelly had already made a commitment to play college basketball with the Texas Longhorns, which was her father's alma mater. She, however, reopened her recruitment four years later and eventually committed to UNC, choosing the North Carolina Tar-Heels over other top programs like Texas A&M, Duke and Minnesota.
Kelly went on to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference with UNC for three years before eventually transferring to Oregon for her senior year. She concluded her senior year this season and went undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but she did sign a training camp contract with the Las Vegas Aces on Apr. 18.
