After overcoming a series of surgeries, Connecticut Sun guard Diamond DeShields is set to provide much-needed leadership for her new team. The Sun, which lost key members of its lineup, will have to undergo significant revamps ahead of the season. But for the WNBA veteran, who previously played in the 2023 Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game, the Sun’s rebuilding phase is an opportunity to take on new challenges.
“I welcome any new challenge, any new opportunity. And I welcome change. It’s, you know, it’s the most consistent thing about life,” DeShields said. However, before joining the Sun, DeShields had to overcome several challenges, particularly a number of injuries and surgeries, making her return to basketball a story of triumph and perseverance. Here’s a look at DeShields’s setbacks, her stint beyond basketball, and her future with a new team.
Overcoming adversities
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DeShields has had numerous injuries throughout her professional career. When she was 15, DeShields was diagnosed with keratoconus, an eye disease that weakens the cornea and causes it to protrude. The Sun guard admitted she has had two eye surgeries over the course of her WNBA career, which have led her to use goggles on the court. DeShields also underwent a nine-hour spinal surgery prior to the 2020 season after an MRI detected a benign tumor in her back. Following her successful surgery, DeShields helped the Chicago Sky win its first WNBA title in 2021 before getting traded to the Phoenix Mercury ahead of the 2022 season. Then, in 2023, DeShields missed the entire season with the Dallas Wings after suffering a knee injury.
After a tough series of injuries, DeShields is now ready to lead her new team in the upcoming season. But aside from basketball, DeShields has also been busy exhibiting her star power through brand collabs.
Brand partnerships
DeShields has partnered with performance eyewear brand Oakley, with the two working together to boost eye care initiatives for children. DeShields has worn several Oakley glasses frames for numerous campaigns. The brand tapped DeShields and fellow Team Oakley athletes to sport the Enigma Ink and Enigmas Mass glasses, which can be equipped with the patented Oakley Authentic Prescription for vision correction. These lifestyle frames carry a bold design for the Enigma Ink and a slim silhouette for the Enigma Mass. DeShields and Oakley have additionally partnered with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to give free eye exams and glasses to more than 300 students at KIPP Chicago.
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Last year, DeShields partnered with footwear and accessories brand ALDO to curate a collection of existing shoe styles as part of the brand’s venture into the extended sizing category. The collaboration focused on addressing the gap in the women’s market for comfortable shoes in extended sizes. The collection includes stilettos, knee-high boots, and other footwear from ALDO’s fall 2024 women’s line.
Now, after overcoming numerous setbacks and inking partnership deals, DeShields is focused on embracing a new role in her career.
Stepping up to the plate
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Before her spinal and knee injuries, DeShields was a consistent force to be reckoned with. She was picked third overall by the Sky in the 2018 WNBA Draft, became part of the All-Rookie Team in the same year, and earned her first All-Star and All-WNBA selections in 2019. DeShields averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in her second year as a professional player before injuries derailed her career. Now, she is ready to embrace her role as the veteran leader for the Sun, which unfortunately lost its entire 2024 starting lineup and coach during the offseason. With Connecticut only having four players with at least five years of playing experience in the WNBA, DeShields is ready to step up to the plate.
“I feel like I was just in a season of evolution over the past five years of facing my own deficits and overcoming them, physically, mentally, spiritually,” DeShields has said. “I feel like I’ve had such a vast richness of experiences that … has contributed to me as a leader, so I’m really looking forward to taking all that experience and putting it together here in Connecticut.”
DeShields’ dedication to return to the court proves that passion knows no bounds. With a new set of challenges ahead, DeShields is proving she’s ready to take the opportunity to grow and contribute to her team.
