University of Tennessee Athletics
First Impression: Diamond DeShields
October 30, 2014 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- In the Tennessee women's basketball "First Impression" spotlight this week is Diamond DeShields, a 6-foot-1 guard from Norcross, Ga.
DeShields is in her first season at Rocky Top and will sit out the 2014-15 campaign per NCAA transfer rules after relocating from the University of North Carolina. The No. 3 ranked recruit in the 2013 espnW HoopGurlz Top 100, many thought the McDonald's High School All-American would wind up a Lady Vol before she decided to become a Tar Heel.
Big Orange fans will have to wait until 2015-16, though, to see last year's consensus national freshman of the year in action. It should be worth the wait, as DeShields averaged 18.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a freshman at UNC. She was selected as an honorable mention All-American by AP and the WBCA.
DeShields was named to the 2014 All-ACC First Team and All-Freshman Team after setting four ACC freshman marks, including most points (648), field goals (248), field goals attempted (582) and double figure scoring games (32). She shot 42.6% from the field and 77.6% from the free throw line for North Carolina in 2013-14.
Coming from a very athletic family, Diamond follows in the footsteps of her mother, Tisha (Milligan) DeShields, who was a track & field All-American in the heptathlon as a freshman at Tennessee in 1991. Diamond's father, Delino, spent 13 seasons playing Major League Baseball and now manages Pensacola's minor league team, while her brother, Delino Jr. was selected by the Houston Astros with the eighth overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft and is working his way through the minor leagues.
DeShields is officially listed as number 10 this season at Tennessee, but she hopes to wear No. 11 next season after senior Cierra Burdick graduates.
You can follow DeShields on Twitter at @DDDeShields or on Instagram at @DDeShields.
