For the fans of UNC, the love story of Tar Heel RJ Davis and Oregon Duck Deja Kelly is nothing less than a fairy tale. Both were guards for the Tar Heels and their romance has captured a lot of spotlight and coverage.
However, as they stepped into their senior years, their paths in the sport started to diverge. Here’s the complete timeline of RJ Davis and Deja Kelly’s relationship.
The Diverging Path of College Basketball’s Power Couple: RJ Davis and Deja Kelly
RJ Davis and Deja Kelly’s relationship started in 2022. They marked their one-year anniversary with a cute TikTok in December 2023. Their social media is filled with adorable moments of the couple, like overseas vacations, playful court showdowns in their uniforms, and more. The fans highly adore these little snippets.
At 22, they had become a standout pair at North Carolina, home to Michael Jordan’s alma mater. Yet, their basketball stories have taken different turns. RJ has cemented himself as a star for the men’s team. His standout play during the previous March Madness has fans gushing over his potential.
He even has a chance this year to jump to the NBA draft. His skills as a guard have made him indispensable to the Tar Heels. Deja, meanwhile, has carved her own legacy with the women’s team. She debuted in November 2020, starting 23 of 24 games in her freshman year.
She has earned many accolades, including ACC All-Freshman Team and All-ACC Academic Team honors. As a team captain, she was the leading scorer for three straight seasons.
Kelly was raised by her single mom, Theresa Nunn, who played at Valley City State. Her dad, Darren Kelly, starred at Texas. Basketball hooked her at age five, with her mom’s coaching laying the foundation. “I sacrificed a lot,” Nunn once shared, “and Deja knew it, so she pushed harder.”
Kelly moved from Lady Bird Johnson High School to Duncanville High, chasing better heights for her career. She committed to UNC in 2019 after weighing offers from Duke and Minnesota.
Her UNC debut came in November 2020, starting 23 of 24 games as a freshman and earning ACC All-Freshman honors. She also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA AmeriCup. However, in 2024, Deja took a different path than her partner and joined the Oregon Ducks.
MORE ON THE TAR HEELS STAR: Everything You Need To Know About UNC Star RJ Davis’s Family
At Oregon, she once again became a highly celebrated player. Off the court, with her broadcast journalism degree, she aims for a position at ESPN. Deja has already done sideline reporting for Oregon’s men’s team for the channel.
As Davis eyes the pros from Chapel Hill, Kelly’s Ducks adventure could lead to the WNBA or a broadcast booth. Their love story endures, but their hoops paths are now coast-to-coast.
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