Deja Kelly addresses why she transferred from the University of North Carolina

One of the major headlines this offseason for the UNC women's basketball program was the departure of star Deja Kelly.

After four seasons with the program, Kelly elected to utilize her fifth season of eligibility elsewhere, transferring to Oregon to wrap up her college career. While she decided to switch schools, Kelly didn't discuss her decision to transfer at first, but elected to address the topic via a video she posted on TikTok.

In case you haven't seen the entire video, you can do so by clicking here.

Kelly spoke about some of the criticism she heard via social media, as some fans were confused in thinking she left the program after one season.

“I was a big part of that program that’s back on the national stage, and I ultimately just carried that program on my back for four years in the most humble way."

As one of the student-athletes among the final group that was granted an additional season of eligibility due to COVID-19, Kelly is grateful for one more season to improve her game.

“Thankful that I have one more year to figure myself out and continue to grow as a person and, of course, as a player. I’m granted a chance to continue to grow my game, get better.”

Viewed as the face of the program during her tenure in Chapel Hill, Kelly spoke about the adversity she dealt with, noting that it helped her grow mentally.

“Being a leader, a face of a program is not easy, and it comes with a lot of BS a lot of people cannot handle. So, I give kudos to myself for being able to handle all this stuff that I went through for the past four years. That position is not for everybody. I am completely confident that it has made me way stronger mentally.”

It was a rough season for the UNC women's basketball program overall, given the amount of injuries the team dealt with throughout the season. Being tasked to play a ton of minutes (in some cases, entire games), Kelly was playing more of a point guard role given the team's need at the position. The factors surrounding all the circumstances included had her not enjoying playing the sport she loves.

“I found myself not playing with the joy that I used to play the game with. That’s as blunt as I can get, and that is not a great feeling. I felt it early on in the season, midseason, to where I really just did not want to play.

That may sound bad, whatever it is, but there are times when we just don’t get it and cannot get ourselves through it like that. And that was me this past season, and that’s where I think I built up the courage. I am really proud of myself for realizing that, in that I needed just a different environment in order to try to find that again.”

Of course, Kelly's goal is to play professionally starting next season, as she believes her decision to transfer will ultimately pay dividends.

“I know that there’s stuff that I have to continue to grow in my game and be consistent at and I felt like me transferring and going to Oregon was going to best help me do that and best prepare me. The efficiency? I feel like that will grow in a different system. Obviously, we’ll still see, but I’m pretty confident that a different system will allow me to operate a little better from a basketball standpoint."”

For those who are skeptical of Kelly's decision, just know that this student-athlete gave the UNC women's basketball program everything she could. While some might be frustrated that she elected to finish her career elsewhere, you have to also understand that the student-athlete must do what's best for them and their career, as this change may ultimately be good for Deja Kelly.

Instead of criticizing Kelly, appreciate what she did for the UNC women's basketball program and wish her well on her future endeavors.