October 3, 2024

Lady Vols MVP of the week: Diamond DeShields

Diamond DeShields’ leadership and scoring has the Lady Vols poised for a strong season finish.

KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 09, 2017 - Diamond DeShields #11 of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Donald Page, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics.

Before Tennessee’s 81-78, double-overtime loss against Georgia, the Lady Vols had won four games in a row. However, the loss against Georgia didn’t put a dent in the Lady Vols’ winning mood. Tennessee bounced back to grab a win from Missouri, 77-66, on Thursday, moving the Lady Vols ahead of Missouri as the fifth seed in the SEC as tournament time approaches.

Junior guard Diamond DeShields showed her athleticism and leadership skills yet again en route to being the Lady Vols’ MVP of the week.

DeShields has been a key component of Tennessee’s recent wins.

She’s scored at least 20 points in two of the Lady Vols’ past five games while passing the 20-point mark in a game for the 32nd time in her Tennessee career. DeShields scored an impressive 34 points against Georgia, despite the loss. Regardless of who Tennessee is playing, she always seems to lead in either points, rebounds or assists.

In Thursday’s game against Missouri, DeShields continued her key play for the Lady Vols by scoring 22 points, and she added six rebounds and three assists. With the help of DeShields, Tennessee has eased back into the Associated Press Top 25 Poll at the No. 24 spot.

DeShields’ performances have brought her even closer to 1,000 point milestone for her career. With the way she is playing, it won’t be to hard to reach.

As the Lady Vols’ season winds down, it’s obvious that DeShields have proven herself on the court this year. She has impressive athleticism and continues to show it every game. With games against Texas A&M and Mississippi State drawing close, Tennessee needs Diamond Deshields to continue to play hard in order to keep the Lady Vols in good standing for the SEC Tournament.

Edited by Nathan Odom

Featured image by Donald Page, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics