Deja Kelly has added another accomplishment to her already impressive college career resume.
DK2K 👑 #GoDucks x @dejakelly25 pic.twitter.com/uM0eQSVhLO
— Oregon Women’s Basketball (@OregonWBB) December 31, 2024
The former UNC women's basketball standout scored her 2,000th career point in the Oregon Ducks final game of the 2024 calendar year against Northwestern. She finished with 9 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the Ducks 20-point victory over the Wildcats.
While she accomplished the feat wearing Oregon Green, let's remember that the majority of Kelly's points throughout her college career came while wearing the Carolina Blue. In her four seasons in Chapel Hill, Kelly solidified herself as one of the best scorers in program history, finishing her time at North Carolina as the program's eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,851 points.
In the new world of college athletics, it's more common seeing players compete for multiple schools. Kelly's situation is a bit different than the others, as the extra year of eligibility due to COVID allowed her to return to school for an additional year.
While we all would've loved to have seen Kelly wrap up her career where it started, she found an opportunity to help her grow not only as a basketball player, but in her future career path as well.
The goal for Kelly is to play in the WNBA next season and beyond, but she'll definitely have ample broadcasting opportunities available to her once her playing days are over. Heck, she has been managing both: competing in her own games while also serving as a sideline reporter for some of the Oregon men's basketball games!
In the world of NIL, not many athletes have benefitted more than Deja Kelly, which is a testament to her hard work and dedication along with the guidance from those around her.
Just remember: while she reached the milestone as a Duck, Deja Kelly will always be a Tar Heel.