Tag: Deja Kelly

Former Tar Heel Ivory Latta names Deja Kelly to her Top 5 ACC PG list

Deja Kelly, the UNC women’s basketball team’s star point guard, earned some recognition from Tar Heel royalty. What exactly was it?

Ivory Latta was one of the best college basketball players to come through Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels made the Final Four twice (05-06, 06-07) during Latta’s four seasons, making the NCAA tournament all four years. Latta is in the ACC record books, ranking sixth in career 3-pointers, fifth in free throw percentage and 15th in 3-point percentage, plus UNC’s all-time points leader with 2,285.

Latta, who laced up her sneaks for the UNC women’s basketball team from 2003-2007, went onto enjoy a successful, 11-year WNBA career with the Detroit and Tulsa Shock, Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics. Latta appeared in the WNBA Finals during her rookie season, then was later an All-Star in 2013 and 2014.

There’s another star point guard in Chapel Hill who’s the talk of the UNC women’s team – Deja Kelly – who ranks among the best current players in the ACC.

Latta, who is now a college basketball analyst for the ACC Network, ranked Kelly as the ACC’s third-best point guard.

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Kelly, who slots in behind Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Virginia Tech’s Georgia Amoore, will try and help the Tar Heels to their fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament. She was already named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List, annually given to the best point guard in women’s college basketball.

Just how good is Kelly? She earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2020-2021, then spots on the All-ACC Team in each of the past two years. She averaged 15 points per game across the last three seasons, including a team-high 16.5 last year.

With Kelly and Alyssa Utsby both back for 2023-2024, this season is shaping up to be another strong one for the Tar Heels.

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UNC women’s basketball schedule now complete

The UNC women’s basketball team can begin making final preparations for its season, as its ACC schedule was announced on Tuesday.

It was a tough ending last year for the UNC women’s basketball team, which came seconds away from an upset of Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels were one of seven ACC schools to reach double-digits in conference wins, along with Miami, Louisville, Florida State, Duke, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. UNC was one of eight to make the Big Dance.

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby headline this year’s roster, which has a young look with seven underclassmen.

Carolina can now officially begin make game preparations, as its ACC schedule was released on Tuesday.

UNC opens up its season against Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels stay at home through Thanksgiving Break, when they head to Florida for the Gulf Coast Showcase.

After concluding its non-conference schedule with a neutral-site matchup against Oklahoma in the Tuesday, Dec. 19 Jumpman Invitational, Carolina hosts Clemson at noon on New Years’ Eve to open up ACC play. The Tar Heels play an even nine conference games at home and on the road, concluding with a visit from archrival Duke on Sunday, March 3.

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UNC WBB name their team captains for the 2023-2024 season

The North Carolina women’s basketball program announces their team captains for the 2023-2024 season.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program is ramping up as the season gets near, and we now know who will be the two captains for the upcoming year.

Seniors [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Ustby[/autotag] will serve as captains this year for UNC, bringing their experience and skill to the forefront. Both Tar Heels have significantly contributed to the program’s success and are regarded as top players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Kelly has started 87 of 88 games in three seasons with UNC, averaging 15 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 32.3 minutes per game. Ustby has started 77 of 84 games for the Tar Heels, averaging 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 31 minutes per game.

The Tar Heels are scheduled to kick off its season on November 8th against Gardner Webb in Chapel Hill. With Kelly and Ustby leading the charge, expect a prepared team looking to make a big splash in the NCAA this year.

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Women’s basketball prepared to face tough competition in Thanksgiving tourney

The UNC women’s basketball team, coming off its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, will play in a Thanksgiving tournament this year.

The University of North Carolina women’s basketball team came within a couple points of upsetting Ohio State and moving onto the Sweet 16 in last year’s NCAA tournament.

Carolina clawed back from a double-digit deficit to take a late lead, only for Ohio State’s Jacy Shelton to sink a game-winner with seconds remaining and ending all hope for Tar Heels fans. The third-seeded Buckeyes won, 71-69.

This year, UNC is hoping to finally make a push for the Sweet 16 and possibly more. It’d be a fourth-straight NCAA appearance, something not done since a string of eight straight from 2002-2009.

The Heels will be tested early in the season, as they head to Florida’s Gulf Coast over Thanksgiving Weekend for the Clean Simple Eats Gulf Coast Showcase from Friday, Nov. 24-Sunday, Nov. 26.

Carolina’s first matchup of the 3-day Holiday tournament is against Vermont (Friday, Nov. 24 at 1:30 p.m.). This is the two teams’ first time playing each other. Vermont, which won the America East Conference Tournament last year, lost to national power UConn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Also in the field is Kansas State and Western Kentucky, Florida Gulf Coast, Delaware, Iowa and Purdue-Fort Wayne. Iowa lost in the 2023 NCAA Championship game to Angel Reese-led LSU.

Carolina, led by two All-ACC selections in Deja Kelly and Alyssa Utsby, will almost certainly be tested in this early-season tourney.

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Deja Kelly delivers clutch free throws in Team USA’s 67-63 win over Canada

North Carolina women’s basketball star Deja Kelly drops eight points in Team USA’s 67-63 win over Canada.

North Carolina women’s basketball star [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] continues to shine for the United States after a 67-63 squeezed victory over Canada.

Kelly helped USA advance to the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup gold-medal game against Brazil, finishing with eight points and three rebounds. Despite a sluggish shooting performance from the field, Kelly made plays when it counted. Down by three points with five minutes left to go, Kelly made a huge play to draw a foul, knocking down both free throws to get Team USA within one.

Kelly finished the game +6 in +/-, tied for the third highest on the team. In six games for Team USA, Kelly averages 6.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 19 minutes of action per game. Her best game came against Cuba in the group phase, finishing with 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.

Kelly and USA will look to bring home to gold medal when they face off against Brazil Sunday at 8 P.M. ET.

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Deja Kelly appears on On3’s 2024 WNBA draft big board

UNC women’s basketball guard Deja Kelly appears on On3’s big board for the 2024 WNBA draft.

The next wave of talent going into the WNBA was drafted on Monday night as the league held its annual draft ahead of the season.And while the draft focused on talent from this past season, it’s hard not to think about next year’s draft.

North Carolina guard Deja Kelly is considered one of the best players in the country and should hear her name called early in the 2024 WNBA draft. At least one publication agrees with that as well.

On Monday night, On3 put out its big board for WNBA draft prospects for next year, and right there in the top 10 is Kelly. The combo guard checked in at No. 7:

Kelly has been fantastic in her career at North Carolina so far and with her returning for another year, she has the chance to improve her draft stick for the 2024 draft.

Last season, Kelly averaged 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 37.3 percent from the field.

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Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby earn All-America honorable mention

North Carolina Tar Heels Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby earn All-America honorable mentions.

North Carolina women’s basketball players [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Ustby[/autotag] have been named honorable mentions for All-America. Both Tar Heels were pivotal in UNC’s success this season and rightfully have received high praise for their play this season.

Kelly was North Carolina’s top scorer, tying her career high for points averaged in a season with 16.5 per game. This is Kelly’s second straight year receiving this honorable mention showcasing another consistent season.

On the other hand, Ustby was the team leader in rebounds, averaging 8.3 rebounds. Despite missing five games, Ustby finished with 233 total rebounds, 45 more than the next Tar Heel.

The North Carolina women’s basketball season might not have ended as they had hoped. However, they were still welcomed with applause for a hard-fought season, with a lot of credit going to Kelly and Ustby.

Both Tar Heels will be back in Chapel Hill next season, pending any last-minute changes, and should be a shoe for the award in 2023-2024.

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Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are WBCA All-America finalists

Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby are WBCA All-America finalists for the 2022-2023 season.

The North Carolina women’s basketball program season did not end as they hoped, but there is no denying the impact team leaders Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby had this season.

Both Tar Heels have been named WBCA All-America finalists for their region. The other finalists include Georgia Amoore, Sonia Citron, Dyaisha Fair, Abbey Hsu, Diamond Johnson, Elizabeth Kitley, Ta’Niya Latson, Olivia Miles, Celeste Taylor, and Hailey Van Lith.

Kelly led UNC scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. She also displayed ball-hawking skills, averaging 1.3 steals per game. Ustby, on the other hand, was North Carolina’s leader when it came to hitting the glass leading the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. Ustby also showed her ability to score, averaging 13.2 points per game.

The announcement on if Kelly and Ustby will make the final cut for WBCA All-America is expected to be released later this month.

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Deja Kelly’s legacy continues to grow after insane state line

North Carolina women’s basketball guard Deja Kelly Tar Heel’s legacy continues to grow after a historic stat line.

North Carolina’s [autotag]Deja Kelly[/autotag] continues to build her Tar Heel legacy, adding another insane achievement to her resume.

UNC played their last game of the season, losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes, but that did not stop Kelly from making history. Kelly became the first Tar Heel for the women’s basketball program since 2000 to finish with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in an NCAA game. Kelly also tacked on three steals, displaying one of the best defensive performances in her career.

This performance showcased Kelly’s abilities on the offensive and defensive end. To make the stat line that memorable, Kelly left the game with an injury before returning to help North Carolina fight late, even hitting a game-tying bucket with 11 seconds left.

This season has been one of the books for Kelly, earning accolades left and right such as All-ACC and winning the MVP for the PKI tournament. The future is bright for North Carolina, a big part of that is due to Kelly’s impact.

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Twitter reacts to UNC’s nail-biting win over St. John’s

Twitter reacts to UNC nail-biting win over St. John’s in round one of the NCAAW tournament.

The dance continues for the North Carolina women’s basketball program after they squeezed out a victory for their first tournament game.

UNC took on St. John’s, and it was a late scare for the Tar Heels but they used their defense to anchor their offense into victory. The pressure North Carolina was able to put on St. John was massive, and if they can replicate that same attack with the ball, then cutting the nets down once the tournament concludes is a true possibility.

Outside of North Carolina’s defense, the energy Tar Heel fans brought at the game and on social media was electric. In addition, the win brought out some significant reaction as fans pondered this being the year UNC would hang another banner.

Now, the Tar Heels turn their attention to No. 3 Ohio State. Both teams had similar success in starting the tournament, and it should be a blockbuster game with a similar playing style. However, before we get to that game, we look at how Twitter reacted to North Carolina’s stealing the win late against St. John’s.