Oregon lands all-ACC guard Kelly from Tar Heels

Three-time all-ACC guard Deja Kelly is transferring to Oregon from North Carolina, she announced on social media Monday.

Kelly, a 5-foot-8 senior from Texas, averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during her career in Chapel Hill, where she started all four years and led the Tar Heels in scoring the past three.

She has a fifth and final year of eligibility, as the NCAA granted student-athletes a freebie season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was also eligible to depart for the 2024 WNBA draft.

New Throne. 👑🦆#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/hBL6sPaJWU

— Deja Kelly (@dejakelly25) May 6, 2024

Kelly, who upon entering the portal in early April hadn’t ruled out a return to Chapel Hill, finished her UNC career eighth on the scoring list, helping the program reach the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Tar Heels fell to eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round this season.

Kelly is also a standout in the NIL realm, boasting deals with Tommy Hilfiger, Crocs, Beats by Dre and more.

She will look to help the Ducks, who went to the Final Four in 2019, rebound following a 11-21 campaign this year and to return to the NCAA tournament after missing out the past two seasons. Oregon, which lost standouts Chance Gray (Ohio State) and Grace VanSlooten (Michigan State) in the portal, will be joining the Big Ten this upcoming season alongside fellow former Pac-12 schools Washington, USC and UCLA.

Kelly is the seventh newcomer coach Kelly Graves has brought in this offseason, an incoming group that also features Texas‘ Amina Muhammad, Arizona‘s Salimatou Kourouma, Washington’s Ari Long, BYU‘s Nani Falatea, UC Santa Barbara‘s Alexis Whitfield and Siena‘s Elisa Mevius.