2024-25 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
Denim DeShields
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 5-5
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Atlanta, Ga.
- High School:
- McEachern HS
- Previous School:
- La Lumiere School (Prep) / UAB
CAREER HONORS
2024 American Athletic Conference All-Conference Third Team (UAB)
2023 Conference USA All-Freshman Team (UAB)
2024-25 (Junior)
DeShields made her Mississippi State debut on November 7 against Memphis ... Played and started in all 34 games during the season ... Averaged 5.7 points, 3.2 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game ... Her 80.0% free throw percentage finished third best on the team ... Scored her 1000th career point against Texas A&M ... She led the team in assists in 12 games ... Had 5+ assists in seven games ... She scored 10+ points in four games ... Her five steals vs Oklahoma (Jan. 9) tied her career high ... Had 3+ steals in four games, which is tied for third most on the team.
PRIOR TO MISSISSIPPI STATE
2023-24 (Sophomore - UAB)
DeShields played in all 32 games with 31 starts … Named to the 2024 American Athletic Conference All-Conference Third Team … Averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game … Led the AAC with 5.3 assists per game … Her 170 assists were the fourth-best single-season total in program history … Set new career-bests in points, assists, rebounds, minutes averages, field-goal and free-throw percentage … Her assists and minutes averages led the team … Her +1.4 assist/turnover ratio ranked seventh in the AAC … Played the sixth-most minutes in the AAC with 33.3 minutes per game … Her 13.4 points per game and 42.5 field-goal percentage each were 13th in the AAC … Scored 10-plus points in 19 games, 20-plus in seven and 30-plus in one … Dished out five-plus assists in 17 games and 10-plus in two … Her 11 assists at East Carolina (Jan. 10) tied the AAC-best single-game total … DeShields was the only player in the AAC to record two 10-plus assist performances … Tallied her second double-double with 13 points and 10 assists in 36 minutes at Tulane (Feb. 7) … Totaled 31 points, five assists and three rebounds on 8-16 from the field and 13-14 from the free-throw line in 34 minutes against SMU (Jan. 14) … Averaged 16.9 points and 5.2 assists over an 11-game stretch (Dec. 30-Feb. 3).
DeShields played in all 31 games with 30 starts … Named to the 2023 Conference USA All-Freshman Team after she was a three-time CUSA Freshman of the Week selection (Nov. 28, Dec. 26, Jan. 9) … Averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game … Her 132 assists and 4.3 assists per game each ranked third in the CUSA and led all conference freshman … Her +1.4 assist/turnover ratio ranked seventh in the CUSA … Her 13.0 points per game ranked 10th in the CUSA … Scored 10-plus points in 19 games, 20-plus in five and 30-plus in one … Dished out five-plus assists in 13 games and 10-plus in two, one of two CUSA players to record multiple 10-plus assist performances … Her points and assists averages led the team … Handed out 10 assists against Middle Tennessee (Jan. 16) … Turned in a career-high 36 points on 14-27 from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line, in addition to four assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes against FIU (Jan. 7) … Totaled her first career double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, her first of two games with 10-plus assists this season, in 38 minutes at Charlotte (Dec. 22) … Her 11 assists were tied for the second-best single-game total in the CUSA … Made her collegiate debut against Alabama A&M (Nov. 6).
HIGH SCHOOL/PREP
DeShields played for head coach Phyliis Arthur at McEachern High School and Matt Marvin at La Lumiere School … Rated a three-star prospect and the 20th-overall point guard in the 2021 class by espnW HoopGurlz … After originally committing to Indiana State due to the Co-VID19 pandemic limitations throughout her recruitment process, DeShields decided to attend La Lumiere School for a prep season … La Lumiere School boasts several NBA alumni like Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr, Washington Wizards’ Jordan Poole, Detroit Pistons’ Jaden Ivey and San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan … Averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game and led La Lumiere to a 19-5 record … 2021 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) First Team 7A and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) All-State selection … 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Honorable Mention 7A All-State honoree … Posted 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in her senior season at McEachern … Averaged 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in her junior season … Played for Team Nite Nite on the AAU circuit for head coach Jamaal Oliver.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Tisha and Delino DeShields … Has four siblings, two brothers, Delino Jr. and D’Angelo, and two sisters, Diamond and Delaney … She is the second youngest, only older than her sister Delaney … Her mother, Tisha, was a 1991 NCAA Outdoor All-American in the heptathlon at Tennessee and is a member of the Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame … Her father, Delino, was drafted out of high school with 12th overall pick in the first round of the 1987 MLB June Amateur Draft and played 13 major league seasons with the Montréal Expos, LA Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs before serving as a manager in the minor leagues, currently the manager of the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals … Her brother, Delino Jr., was selected with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Houston Astros and has played for the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds … Her sister, Diamond, was an multi-time All-American and All-SEC selection at Tennessee after she transferred from North Carolina, where she was the 2014 National Freshman of the Year by multiple outlets, and the third overall pick in the first round of the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky … Diamond currently plays for the Chicago Sky, her second stint with the organization, and won the 2021 WNBA Championship with the Sky … Diamond has played six seasons for the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury and was traded to the Dallas Wings for the 2023 season, which she missed due to injury … Born on Oct. 29, 2003 … Majoring in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship … Has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, grew up selling paper doughnuts around the neighborhood and spent a summer in Chicago living with her sister and braiding hair at a salon, still currently braids hair … After her playing career is completed, DeShields plans to explore opening her own business.
