University of North Carolina Athletics
Kelly Named to Late Season List For Wooden Award
January 30, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Tar Heel junior Deja Kelly has been named to the Late Season Top 20 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award, announced Monday on ESPN2 by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The 20 student-athletes on the list were selected based on their performance so far in the 2022-23 season and are considered the front-runners to be named the Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year at the end of the season.
Kelly, a guard from San Antonio, Texas, leads No. 11 North Carolina in scoring with 16.2 points per game, fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She also ranks among the conference leaders in assists (seventh, 3.6 per game), assist-turnover ratio (eighth, 1.76), field goal percentage (10th, .368) and free throw percentage (13th, .728).
A Preseason All-ACC selection, Kelly was the MVP of the Phil Knight Invitational earlier this season. She also has been voted ACC Player of the Week and named to the watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and the Nancy Lieberman Award.
The Tar Heel is one of five ACC players named to the late season list, the most of any conference. To see the full list, click here.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot, which consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
Kelly, a guard from San Antonio, Texas, leads No. 11 North Carolina in scoring with 16.2 points per game, fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She also ranks among the conference leaders in assists (seventh, 3.6 per game), assist-turnover ratio (eighth, 1.76), field goal percentage (10th, .368) and free throw percentage (13th, .728).
A Preseason All-ACC selection, Kelly was the MVP of the Phil Knight Invitational earlier this season. She also has been voted ACC Player of the Week and named to the watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and the Nancy Lieberman Award.
The Tar Heel is one of five ACC players named to the late season list, the most of any conference. To see the full list, click here.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot, which consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
Players Mentioned
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