Diamond DeShields forgoes final year, will turn pro

In a stunning development today, Tennessee redshirt-senior Diamond DeShields has decided to turn pro, and will not return for her final year of eligibility.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, DeShields has now decided to forego her final collegiate season to play professionally after previously announcing in April, that she would be returning to the Lady Vols to develop her game. DeShields had posted on her Instagram that she was also choosing to stay to act as a big sister for the four incoming freshmen.

This decision turned out not to be the case as of yesterday. “She didn’t give me a reason, just that she was going,” Tennesee head coach Holly Warlick told the News Sentinel.

Warlick had this to say earlier in a school statement:

"Diamond has opted to forego her final collegiate season,” Warlick said in a school release. “She earned a degree from UT and now has a chance to play professionally."

DeShields, who lead her team offensively with 17.4 points per game and was named first-team All-SEC, will leave the Lady Vols with only 10 players for next season. Since the end of the season, the team has also lost guards Te’a Cooper and Alexa Middleton.

Cooper announced her transfer to the University of South Carolina last month. Middleton has yet to announce her next university.