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Deja Kelly photos go viral after basketball star is named in WNBA relationship controversy originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Deja Kelly suddenly found herself at the center of the WNBA’s biggest off-court story over All-Star weekend, even though the former North Carolina and Oregon guard is not currently on a league roster.
Kelly’s name surfaced after Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington publicly accused former partner NaLyssa Smith of being unfaithful during their relationship. Carrington named Kelly and Atlanta Dream rookie Aaliyah Nye in a Threads post that quickly spread across social media.
Neither Smith, Kelly nor Nye has publicly responded to Carrington’s allegation, which has not been independently substantiated. It also remains unclear what prompted Carrington to make the accusation after previously describing her split from Smith as amicable. As fans searched for more information about Kelly, a collection of her glamorous photos began circulating again on X. The images, shared by the account Athlete Vanity, showed Kelly in several different looks, including an elegant wedding guest outfit.
“Can’t lie, we get it,” the account captioned one of the posts.
The renewed social media attention has also introduced a much larger audience to a player who assembled an accomplished college résumé before beginning her professional career.
Who is Deja Kelly?
Kelly is a 24-year-old guard from San Antonio, Texas. She became one of the country’s top high school players at Duncanville, leading the program to a Texas Class 6A state championship.
Kelly scored more than 3,000 points during her high school career and was named the 2019-20 Gatorade Texas Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She also earned McDonald’s All-American recognition before beginning her college career at North Carolina.
The 5-foot-8 guard quickly developed into one of the most productive players in Tar Heels history.
Kelly played four seasons at North Carolina, earning first-team All-ACC honors three consecutive times. She finished her UNC career with 1,858 points, the eighth-highest total in program history, while helping the Tar Heels reach the NCAA Tournament in each of her four seasons.
Her most productive campaign came in 2023-24, when she averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Kelly recorded 27 double-digit scoring performances and reached 20 points 11 times that season. She used her additional year of eligibility to transfer to Oregon for the 2024-25 campaign. Kelly led the Ducks with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition.
Across five college seasons, Kelly totaled 2,247 points, 564 rebounds, 464 assists and 196 steals in 153 games.
Deja Kelly impressed with the Las Vegas Aces
Kelly was not selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but she received an opportunity from the Las Vegas Aces, the team Smith now plays for. The Aces signed Kelly to a training camp contract, and she made a strong impression during the preseason. She scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in only seven minutes against the Dallas Wings before delivering an even bigger performance against the Phoenix Mercury.
Kelly recorded a game-high 15 points in that matchup and made the winning shot with 4.9 seconds remaining, giving Las Vegas an 85-84 victory. Despite those performances, Kelly was waived before the regular season as the Aces finalized their roster.
She later signed with Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball and made her professional debut during the organization’s 2026 season in Nashville. Kelly also has international experience after helping the United States earn a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
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Kelly becomes part of an unexpected WNBA story
Kelly’s connection to the controversy began with Carrington’s post about Smith, whom Carrington started dating when the two were teammates at Baylor.
“Since [people] wanna be funny today, I’m gonna be hilarious,” Carrington wrote before alleging that Smith cheated on her with Kelly, Nye and others.
Carrington and Smith later became teammates with the Dallas Wings during the 2025 WNBA season. Carrington confirmed in November 2025 that they were no longer together but said at the time that the relationship ended on good terms because they “grew in different directions.” Kelly has not addressed Carrington’s post, and her sudden appearance in the story should not be treated as confirmation of the allegation.
Still, the attention surrounding Kelly has extended far beyond the original Threads post. Her photos have resurfaced, her basketball career has become a popular topic and fans who may not have followed her in college are now learning more about her.
The circumstances are unexpected, but Kelly’s resume makes one thing clear: She had already built a significant name for herself in women’s basketball long before this controversy began.
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