University of North Carolina Athletics
Junior guard Deja Kelly is part of the 10-member Preseason All-ACC Team.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Kelly Named To Preseason All-ACC WBB Team, Tar Heels Predicted Fifth
October 19, 2022 | Women's Basketball
Junior guard Deja Kelly has been named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Team and the Tar Heels have been picked fifth in this year's ACC race in voting released on Wednesday.
Kelly, from San Antonio, Texas, led Carolina and ranked fourth in the ACC last season with 16.5 points per game. The conference's top free throw shooter, she was named to the All-ACC and NCAA Greensboro Regional All-Tournament teams at the end of her sophomore season.
To start her junior year, she has been named to the Watch List for the Nancy Lieberman Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard.
The Tar Heels are coming off a 25-7 season and are ranked No. 12 in the preseason Associated Press poll. They open the season on Nov. 9 at home against Jackson State. Tipoff is 7 p.m. and tickets are available here.
The teams above UNC in the ACC poll are all in the top 13 of the AP national poll, along with Carolina. Louisville, picked to win the league, is No. 7 nationally, followed by, Notre Dame (No. 9), NC State (No. 10), Carolina (No. 12) and Virginia Tech (No. 13). The ACC was the only conference to land five or more teams in the top 15.
Conference play starts on Sunday, Nov. 13 with Wake Forest playing at Virginia on ACC Network. The first full day of league games is Thursday, Dec. 29 with seven scheduled contests.
The 2023 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament will be held March 1-5 at the Greensboro Coliseum. For the first time, ACC Network will be the exclusive broadcast home for the first four days of the tournament, with all 13 games available on ACCN. The championship game will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
Eight ACC teams were selected to compete in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, which tied for the most of any conference. It marked the fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament in which eight ACC teams were selected, leading all conferences each year and matching the ACC record for teams in the field.
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team (60 voters)
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech (49 first-place votes)
Hailey Van Lith, Jr., G, Louisville (7)
Olivia Miles, So., G, Notre Dame (3)
Deja Kelly, Jr., G, North Carolina
Diamond Johnson, Jr., G, NC State
Jakia Brown-Turner, Sr., F, NC State
Jewel Spear, Jr., G, Wake Forest
Ashley Owusu, Sr., G, Virginia Tech
Morgan Jones, Grad., G, Louisville (1)
Taylor Soule, Grad., G, Virginia Tech
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
Ashley Owusu, Sr., G, Virginia Tech
Saniya Rivers, So., G, NC State
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
Ta'Niya Latson, Fr., G, Florida State
(tie) Haley Cavinder, Sr., G, Miami
(tie) Ruby Whitehorn, Fr., G, Clemson
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (60 voters)
Louisville (31) - 1068
Virginia Tech (17) - 984
NC State (8) - 963
Notre Dame (4) - 942
North Carolina - 895
Miami - 674
Duke - 627
Georgia Tech - 623
Florida State - 553
Syracuse - 379
Virginia - 303
Clemson - 275
Boston College - 271
Wake Forest - 256
Pittsburgh - 187
Kelly, from San Antonio, Texas, led Carolina and ranked fourth in the ACC last season with 16.5 points per game. The conference's top free throw shooter, she was named to the All-ACC and NCAA Greensboro Regional All-Tournament teams at the end of her sophomore season.
To start her junior year, she has been named to the Watch List for the Nancy Lieberman Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard.
The Tar Heels are coming off a 25-7 season and are ranked No. 12 in the preseason Associated Press poll. They open the season on Nov. 9 at home against Jackson State. Tipoff is 7 p.m. and tickets are available here.
The teams above UNC in the ACC poll are all in the top 13 of the AP national poll, along with Carolina. Louisville, picked to win the league, is No. 7 nationally, followed by, Notre Dame (No. 9), NC State (No. 10), Carolina (No. 12) and Virginia Tech (No. 13). The ACC was the only conference to land five or more teams in the top 15.
Conference play starts on Sunday, Nov. 13 with Wake Forest playing at Virginia on ACC Network. The first full day of league games is Thursday, Dec. 29 with seven scheduled contests.
The 2023 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament will be held March 1-5 at the Greensboro Coliseum. For the first time, ACC Network will be the exclusive broadcast home for the first four days of the tournament, with all 13 games available on ACCN. The championship game will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
Eight ACC teams were selected to compete in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, which tied for the most of any conference. It marked the fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament in which eight ACC teams were selected, leading all conferences each year and matching the ACC record for teams in the field.
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team (60 voters)
Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech (49 first-place votes)
Hailey Van Lith, Jr., G, Louisville (7)
Olivia Miles, So., G, Notre Dame (3)
Deja Kelly, Jr., G, North Carolina
Diamond Johnson, Jr., G, NC State
Jakia Brown-Turner, Sr., F, NC State
Jewel Spear, Jr., G, Wake Forest
Ashley Owusu, Sr., G, Virginia Tech
Morgan Jones, Grad., G, Louisville (1)
Taylor Soule, Grad., G, Virginia Tech
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
Ashley Owusu, Sr., G, Virginia Tech
Saniya Rivers, So., G, NC State
Dyaisha Fair, Sr., G, Syracuse
Ta'Niya Latson, Fr., G, Florida State
(tie) Haley Cavinder, Sr., G, Miami
(tie) Ruby Whitehorn, Fr., G, Clemson
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (60 voters)
Louisville (31) - 1068
Virginia Tech (17) - 984
NC State (8) - 963
Notre Dame (4) - 942
North Carolina - 895
Miami - 674
Duke - 627
Georgia Tech - 623
Florida State - 553
Syracuse - 379
Virginia - 303
Clemson - 275
Boston College - 271
Wake Forest - 256
Pittsburgh - 187
Players Mentioned
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