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Former Oregon Ducks point guard Deja Kelly went undrafted in 2025 but was offered a training camp deal with the 2022 and 2023 WNBA Champions Las Vegas Aces.
The point guard will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot against other rookies like South Florida Bulls guard Elena Tsineke, Alabama Crimson Tide guard/forward Aaliyah Nye as well as Harvard Crimson guard Harmoni Turner.
A WNBA roster has 12 spots available, but it’s typically 11 due to the hard salary cap. Given how little space is available, it will be challenging for Kelly to make the 2025 Las Vegas roster.
Out of high school, Kelly was a McDonald’s All-American in 2020. She started her college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2020-24 and was named First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference three times. Kelly then decided to come to the Oregon Ducks as a grad transfer.
In her final season of eligibility in Eugene, Kelly averaged 12.2 points on a career-high 38.6 field goal percentage plus 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. After the second round loss in the 2025 NCAA Tournament to the Duke Blue Devils, everything came into perspective with the relationship between her coach, Kelly Graves.
“This has been truly one of the best years of my career. I could not be more thankful for this group, for the staff, for the program, not only for welcoming me with open arms, but like KG (Kelly Graves) said: I reenergized the program, they reenergized me.”
– Deja Kelly on her time at Oregon
“The thing about Deja (Kelly), she is as impressive a person as she is a basketball player. She juggles so many things with her NIL obligations, TV appearances. She’s just juggling so many things in her life… I think she’s going to help any WNBA team. I’ve got several players in that league, and I think she belongs. She’s going to do well for somebody.”
– Kelly Graves on Deja Kelly
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Since Graves took over the Oregon job after his tenure with the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 2000-2014, he has made his presence known as one of the biggest names in women’s college basketball on the West Coast. Before jumping up the West Coast Conference ranks with the Zags, he made his mark with both the Portland Pilots and Saint Mary’s Gaels programs during the 90s.
“I’m really grateful to the whole team. This was as professional and fun a group as I’ve ever coached, and this is my 38th year of coaching. I really, really have enjoyed these guys. We’ve had no drama. That’s crazy. Because it’s life; when you’re with this many people this much, sometimes you get that.”
– Kelly Graves on the 2024-25 Oregon group
Graves has been around the block, coaching the likes of Courtney Vandersloot, Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Jillian Alleyne, Ruthy Hebard to name just a few who have found success in the WNBA. Deja Kelly is just as the high-level caliber of a player as they are.
Training camp begins on April 27 and the regular season begins on May 16. The Aces open up the 2025 campaign against the the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty on May 17.
