Deja Kelly to make professional debut with AU Pro Basketball in 2026

July 29, 2025, New York – Standout guard Deja Kelly has signed on for the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Season, joining an elite lineup of league newcomers and veterans. Projected by many to be selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Kelly ultimately went undrafted—but quickly stole the show with a strong preseason performance after being briefly picked up by the Las Vegas Aces. Now, Deja is forging her own path forward with AU Pro Basketball. 

The San Antonio native will make her debut in Nashville following an impressive collegiate career, including as a leading figure in the sports, culture and NIL space.

Beyond her talent on the court, Kelly is a business mogul with an impressive NIL portfolio, landing national partnerships with brands like Dunkin’, Beats by Dre, and Crocs. A household name for personal branding, Kelly hosts Front Office Sports’ NILOSOPHY, a digital series where she offers an inside look at the evolving world of NIL and the opportunities it creates for college athletes. Kelly also founded the DK25 Empowerment Camp to create a blueprint for the next generation of athletes. 

“Joining AU Pro Basketball for the 2026 season means so much to me — being able to compete in the U.S., alongside some of the best in the game and close to my friends and family, is such a blessing,” said Kelly. “AU gives players a voice and a chance to stay on top of their game. I’m excited to keep growing as a player while continuing to build my brand on and off the court. I’ve been preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically for this next chapter — and I’m ready for it.”

Kelly spent four standout seasons at North Carolina, where she led the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons and earned three First‑Team All‑ACC honors. She was named an ACC All‑Freshman honoree and scored over 1,850 points – ranking eighth all-time at Carolina. She led the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen run in 2022. 

During her graduate season at Oregon, Kelly led the Ducks with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game—and closed the year with a dominant postseason run, scoring 20+ points in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games. Kelly finished the year with career highs in field goal percentage, rebounds, assists and steals, while surpassing 2,000 career points.

Most recently, Kelly signed a free-agent contract to attend training camp with the Las Vegas Aces. She posted 15 points and a game-winning shot to secure a preseason win against the Phoenix Mercury. 

AU Pro Basketball is part of Athletes Unlimited, which was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023 and features an Advisory Board comprised of an illustrious group of high-profile contributors from the worlds of sports, business and entertainment including basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman of 35 Ventures; and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team superstar Abby Wambach, among many others.