Diamond Danae-Aziza DeShields (born March 5, 1995) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the Dallas Wings of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

(WNBA). She was drafted by the

Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Sky compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2 ...

with the third overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft, and won a championship with the Sky in

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

. She is the daughter of former MLB player

Delino DeShields Delino Lamont DeShields (born January 15, 1969), also nicknamed "Bop", is an American former professional baseball second baseman and current first base coach for the Cincinnati Reds. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ...

and the younger sister of MLB player

Delino DeShields Jr. Delino Diaab DeShields (born August 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball center fielder who is a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers from 2015 through 2019, the Cleveland Indians in 2020, and t ...

College career

DeShields graduated from

Norcross High School Norcross High School is a public high school in Norcross, Georgia, United States, part of the Gwinnett County School System, and serving the cities of Norcross and Peachtree Corners. The school's mascot is the Blue Devil. The school is also t ...

Norcross, Georgia Norcross is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 9,116, while in 2020 the population was 17,209. It is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta metropolitan statistical area. History ...

. Playing for the school's basketball team, she was a part of three state champions and averaged 26 points per game in her senior year. DeShields enrolled at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, where she played

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team in her freshman year of college. She set an Atlantic Coast Conference record for points scored by a freshman with 648. After her freshman year, DeShields transferred

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

, where she played for the

Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition. The team has been a contender for national titles for over thirty years, having made every NCAA ...

team for two years after sitting out for the season after her transfer. In the 2016-17 season, DeShields led the Lady Vols with 17.4 points per game and was chosen to the All-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

's first team.

Professional career

European leagues

Though DeShields graduated with her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

after her second season at Tennessee, she retained a year of eligibility for college basketball. After initially announcing she would return for the 2017-18 season, she opted to leave Tennessee to play professionally in Turkey. DeShields signed with Çukurova Basketbol of the

Turkish Super League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities an ...

, where she averaged 17.4 points, 6.4

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, and 3.8 assists per game.

WNBA

Chicago Sky (2018–2021)

DeShields was drafted by the

with the third pick of the 2018 WNBA draft. In her first season in the WNBA, she averaged 14.4 points per game while starting in 33 of 34 games played. She was named to the All-Rookie Team. In

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, her sophomore season, DeShields was named a WNBA All-Star. During the All-Star Weekend, she won the Skills Challenge, beating out Jonquel Jones in the final round. DeShields started all 34 games and averaged 16.2 points per game. On September 11, 2019, she played in her first career postseason game and scored 25 points, as the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 105–76. It was the fifth-most points scored by a WNBA player in a postseason debut in league history. DeShields scored 23 points in the Sky's loss to the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team play ...

in the second round of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

. In December 2019, while playing overseas in Turkey, DeShields suffered a back injury. An MRI following the injury revealed that she had a tumor (a lumbar spinal

schwannoma A schwannoma (or neurilemmoma) is a usually benign nerve sheath tumor composed of Schwann cells, which normally produce the insulating myelin sheath covering peripheral nerves. Schwannomas are homogeneous tumors, consisting only of Schwann cells ...

) in her spine, which posed a serious risk of permanent paralysis. After surgery to remove the tumor, DeShields suffered tremors and involuntary spasms and spent months rehabilitating without certainty about whether she would be able to return to play. She decided to keep her condition and surgery experiences private, until sharing them in an interview in May 2022. DeShields returned to play in the 2020 season, which was held in a bubble environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She did not start games, as she was recovering from a knee injury, and played in 13 games while averaging 6.8 points in 17.2 minutes per game. DeShields suffered an apparent quadriceps injury in a game on August 21, and left the bubble a week later, missing the remainder of the season and the Sky's single postseason game. In the 2021 season, DeShields began as a starter and averaged 26.9 minutes and 11.3 points per game. Near the end of the season, she shifted to a role coming off the bench. The Sky entered the playoffs as the sixth seed, and made their way to the 2021 WNBA Finals, winning the series in four games against the Phoenix Mercury. DeShields recorded 15.7 minutes and 5.5 points per game in the team's playoff run. In the offseason, DeShields expressed admiration for the Sky along with a preference to play for a team where she would return to a starting role.

Phoenix Mercury (2022–2023)

As a free agent entering the 2022 season, DeShields took meetings with several teams across the league. On February 3, 2022, she was traded to the Phoenix Mercury in a three-team

sign-and-trade deal In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a sign-and-trade deal is a type of transaction allowed by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) where one franchise/team signs an unrestricted free agent or restricted free agent player to a new co ...

involving the Sky and the Indiana Fever.

Chicago Sky (2023-present)

On February 11, 2023 DeShields was traded to the Dallas Wings in a four-team trade involving the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings and

Career statistics

WNBA

Regular season

, - , style='text-align:left;',

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 34 , , 33 , , 28.4 , , .425 , , .328 , , .836 , , 4.9 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.3 , , 2.1 , , 14.4 , - , style='text-align:left;',

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 34 , , 34 , , 30.2 , , .399 , , .316 , , .836 , , 5.5 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , 0.4 , , 2.2 , , 16.2 , - , style='text-align:left;',

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 13 , , 0 , , 17.2 , , .434 , , .167 , , .778 , , 1.8 , , 1.5 , , 0.9 , , 0.1 , , 2.3 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 32 , , 22 , , 26.9 , , .393 , , .300 , , .820 , , 3.5 , , 2.3 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 1.9 , , 11.3 , - , style='text-align:left;',

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

, style='text-align:left;',

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 30 , , 19 , , 25.3 , , .388 , , .236 , , .765 , , 3.8 , , 2.2 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 2.3 , , 13.1 , - , style='text-align:left;', Career , style='text-align:left;', 5 years, 2 teams , 143 , , 108 , , 26.8 , , .403 , , .296 , , .815 , , 4.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.4 , , 2.1 , , 13.2

Playoffs

, - , style='text-align:left;',

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 2 , , 2 , , 33.0 , , .436 , , .333 , , .833 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 24.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

, style='text-align:left;',

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 10 , , 0 , , 15.7 , , .340 , , .250 , , .800 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , 0.1 , , 1.6 , , 5.5 , - , style='text-align:left;',

, style='text-align:left;',

, 2 , , 2 , , 27.0 , , .432 , , .333 , , .714 , , 4.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 3.5 , , 19.5 , - , style='text-align:left;', Career , style='text-align:left;', 3 years, 2 teams , 14 , , 4 , , 19.8 , , .395 , , .300 , , .795 , , 3.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.7 , , 10.1

Personal life

DeShields' father,

, and brother,

, have played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. Her mother, Tisha, was named an

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

heptathlete A heptathlon is a track and field combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek επτά (hepta, meaning "seven") and ἄθλος (áthlos, or ἄθλον, áthlon, meaning "competition"). A competitor in a hept ...

while attending Tennessee. DeShields has a paternal half-brother and two paternal half-sisters.

References

External links

*Player information and career statistics fro
Basketball-Reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshields, Diamond 1995 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American women's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Chicago Sky draft picks Chicago Sky players McDonald's High School All-Americans North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball) People from Norcross, Georgia People from West Palm Beach, Florida Phoenix Mercury players Shanxi Flame players Small forwards Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars