Diamond DeShields not returning to Lady Vols

Dan Fleser | Knoxville

Show Caption Hide Caption DeShields on Lady Vols' fourth quarter collapse Diamond DeShields reviews fateful fourth quarter of NCAA loss to Louisville.

Diamond DeShields' final act for the Tennessee women's basketball team was a stunning reverse pivot.

Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick announced late Friday afternoon that the redshirt senior guard will not rejoin the team for a final season,

"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."

When reached for further comment, Warlick said DeShields told her Thursday that she wouldn't be back.

"She didn't give me a reason, just that she was going," Warlick said.

Warlick informed the team on Friday, saying: "I told them and we moved on."

The 6-foot-1 DeShields, who transferred to UT following her freshman season at North Carolina (2013-14), announced in early April that she was returning for a final season rather than enter the WNBA draft, which was an option.

More: Warlick deletes account over tweet after DeShields' departure

She submitted a lengthy post on Instagram, saying that she was returning to "develop my game further" and play for championships. She also stressed the intention to be a "big sister" for the four incoming freshmen.

"Giving these four young ladies an opportunity to be themselves, make mistakes and still have the love they need and deserve is my first priority," DeShields wrote.

Since then, DeShields' teammate and friend Te'a Cooper left last month, transferring to South Carolina.

DeShields, who was not on campus for the first session of summer school, responded to Cooper's decision via Twitter. She told Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley "take care of my girl ... got a good one." She told Cooper: "I wish U nothing but the best, I know you'll be great."

Warlick tweeted a smiley face emoji less than an hour after her announcement, but later took it down and apologized for any misunderstanding. She said it was a response to social media questions about whether she was OK.

😊 — Holly Warlick (@HollyWarlick) June 23, 2017

"That wasn't intended at Diamond; that's the truth," Warlick said. "I don't tweet negative stuff. I apologize if it offended anyone."

Warlick later confirmed she deleted her Twitter account — @HollyWarlick — but declined further comment.

Warlick spun the narrative forward in UT's release, taking stock in who will be available for next season.

“I am pleased with the commitment of our talented group of returnees and highly-regarded freshman class, and I have been encouraged with the talent, chemistry, attitude, work ethic and intensity that have been displayed thus far during off-season workouts," Warlick said in her statement. "Our staff can’t wait to continue building on that. We look forward to welcoming senior Kortney Dunbar and freshman Evina Westbrook to campus for the second summer session and are very excited about the future of this program, both for the upcoming season and in the years to come.”

Later, Warlick said she wasn't anticipating any more attrition. Fellow Lady Vols Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell also had the option of entering the WNBA draft in April.

"They're not going anywhere," Warlick said. "They're absolutely great."

Without DeShields, Tennessee will be down to 10 players for next season. Since the season's end, they've lost three guards. Along with DeShields and Cooper, Alexa Middleton also left. She hasn't announced yet where she's transferring.

The departures will result in greater roles for freshman guards Westbrook and Anastasia Hayes as well as wing Rennia Davis.

DeShields was Tennessee's leading scorer last season, averaging 17.4 points. She shot 42.3 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent on 3-pointers. She was second on the team in assists (110) but led in turnovers (103). She was a first-team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.

In two seasons at Tennessee, DeShields averaged 15.7 points.