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UNC Basketball: Deja Kelly, the Queen of the ACC

By Nick Delahanty

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 25: Deja Kelly #25 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes to the basket as Zia Cooke #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks defends during the first half in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 Round at Greensboro Coliseum Complex on March 25, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 25: Deja Kelly #25 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes to the basket as Zia Cooke #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks defends during the first half in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 Round at Greensboro Coliseum Complex on March 25, 2022 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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There are very high expectations in place for Deja Kelly as she heads into her junior season with the UNC women’s basketball program.

In the new world that we know as the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), not many college student-athletes have benefited from these opportunities more than Deja Kelly.

Kelly, who is heading into her junior season with the UNC basketball program, has thrived in profiting off her brand. As she’s been one of the best players in all of college basketball, she has also found ways to make her stardom grow even more off the court.

If you’ve seen Kelly compete, you know why so many big-name companies want her to represent them.

There are very high expectations in place for both Kelly and the UNC women’s basketball team, as they return four starters from a team that made their way to the Sweet 16 a season ago. Kelly was the spearhead of that run, as she continues to lead this very talented group.

What can we expect from Kelly in year three? If we’ve learned anything over the last two seasons, we should expect another tremendous season from the San Antonio, Texas native.

2021-2022 Season in Review

As a sophomore, Kelly was not only instrumental in the Tar Heels’ success but also cemented herself as one of the best players in the ACC. Her 16.5 points per game led North Carolina and ranked fourth overall in the conference.

For her efforts, Kelly earned First-Team All-ACC honors and followed it up by landing a spot on the Greensboro Regional All-Tournament Team in postseason play. Although the Tar Heels lost to eventual national champion South Carolina in the Sweet 16, Kelly put up a strong performance, leading the Tar Heels with 23 points.

What to Expect in 2022-2023

Kelly will be called upon to once again be the focal point of North Carolina’s offensive attack, as her production should increase even more this upcoming season. As she’s only 208 points away from 1,000 career points as a Tar Heel, Kelly will most likely surpass this milestone at some point near the midpoint of the season.

Last season, Kelly attempted a lot more shots and was able to increase her shooting percentages. As she’ll continue getting plenty of looks, the hope is that she’ll be able to continue improving in this area, as it will be tough to do given that other teams will focus on slowing her down.

With this in mind, I think you’ll see a jump in assists for the junior guard. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her average close to four or more assists per game, as she can help take some of the pressure off her by finding her open teammates.

Bold Prediction

Here’s my bold prediction: Deja Kelly will be an All-American, and will help lead the UNC women’s basketball program to this year’s Final Four.

My expectation is that both UNC basketball programs will make the Final Four. Following Kelly’s lead, coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels will be one of the last four teams standing in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Kelly’s stardom will continue to rise, as she’ll rightfully continue to be regarded as not only one of the ACC’s best but one of the best college basketball players in the entire country.

Check out our previously released 2022-2023 UNC women’s basketball player previews below:

Paulina Paris | Teonni Key | Kayla McPherson | Destiny Adams | Alexandra Zelaya | Alyssa Ustby |

Kennedy Todd-Williams |

Next. Caleb Love on a mission in year three. dark

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