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Las Vegas Aces rookie Deja Kelly reacted to a rare photo of herself that resurfaced lately on social media. The old childhood photo showed Kelly and other kids with Aces coach Becky Hammon during her playing days with the San Antonio Stars (now the Aces).
The picture popped up on Hammon's social media feed, and the 48-year-old coach then surprised Kelly with it during the team's practice. The Las Vegas rookie couldn't believe her eyes on seeing the photo.
When the team's X (formerly Twitter) handle shared the photo, Kelly quickly dropped a reaction to the post. She tweeted:
"Lolll full circle moment 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽 (embarrassing pic tho 💔)"
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Kelly played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks women's team. In her final year, she led the team with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 38.6% from the floor. She also earned an All-Big Ten Honourable Mention.
She was signed to a training camp contract by the Aces ahead of the 2025 WNBA season.
Deja Kelly on how she fell in love with basketball
During an interview with WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike on the "C-SUITE BALLERS" show on April 3, Deja Kelly revealed how her love for basketball was born.
"So, my mom, as everyone knows probably by now, she was a coach," Kelly said. "She ran her own program, and I kind of grew up watching her. She already had a high school girls' program, so I grew up kind of being around and watching them a little bit.
"So, when I kind of got to the age of five, six, I was like, I want to play, mostly because I just wanted to be around friends. My cousin, who was a little bit older than me, also played. So I was like, I just want to do whatever she does and see where it goes."
Although Kelly went undrafted during the 2025 WNBA draft, she still boasts a good foundation in basketball. As such, she will hope to impress the Aces and secure a roster spot ahead of the 2025 season.
