“Being a WNBA player is one of the hardest jobs in America to GET and even harder to KEEP,” De Shields wrote in 2019, and that will be a sour reminder for her after she was surprisingly waived by the Connecticut Sun. DeShields is a championship winner! One is only left to wonder about the front office’s reasons.

Being in the League since 2018, she has had her share of success, both on and off the court. After topping the Sky’s most games played, scoring, assists, steals, and field-goals made lists, the Tennessee icon was amassing cash via her WNBA earnings and sponsorship deals. So here’s a look at how much she has earned throughout her journey.

What is Diamond DeShields’ net worth?

The exact net worth of De Shields is unknown, but as of 2022, the estimation was at $1.6 million, according to iWealthyfox. It’s a safe assumption that there must have been an increase in that sum, given her rising popularity.

In 2024, she partnered with ALDO, a shoe retailer, and curated a whole collection. Massive in fashion, DeShields also featured in a series by Notre, a curated boutique in Chicago. There may also be a few other less-discovered deals contributing to her net worth. But to conclude? The star guard is not short on cash.

Diamond DeShields’ Contract Breakdown

After a single-year contract that earned her $100,000 with the Chicago Sky in 2024, DeShields signed a 1-year contract with the Connecticut Sun in February 2025. While she was expected to bring championship experience, leadership, and versatility, she was agreed to be compensated for a sum of $115,000.

Prior to the 1-year contract with Sky, DeShields signed a 4-year $232,178 rookie contract that offered her a base salary of $58,045. The next one came in big with the Sky agreeing to a 2-year $304,500 deal. That brought her an average salary of $152,250 for 2022-2023. But things seemed to have gone downhill since.

What is Diamond DeShields’ salary?

Being waived leaves Diamond DeShields with no salary for 2025, unless she is pick by a team sometime during the season. Teams can sign her on rest-of-season contracts or a specific period lasting a week-long or more, per requirements. However, until then, there’s a possibility she could continue earning via endorsements.

Why was Diamond DeShields’ contract waived?

The answer could be injury concerns; DeShields was sidelined for most of training camp with an ankle injury, and she wasn’t active in the Sun’s two preseason games. So maybe that injury is a serious one. The Sun will miss Shields’ upperhand in experience–  she was also one of only five players on the roster to have more than three years of experience in the league.

With the roster limit at 12, the team seemingly could not risk keeping her– upon failing to recover, the Sun would incur some financial loss. Plus, it leaves room to explore other talents overlooked. But it will be a position hard to replace.

A look at Diamond DeShields’ College and Professional Career

DeShields graduated from Norcross High School in Georgia, where she starred on the hardwood and guided her team to three state championships. The highly touted recruit was roped in by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, playing guard for the Tar Heels. De Shields got to work from her freshman year itself, setting an ACC freshman scoring record with 648 points.

After her standout debut season, she transferred to the University of Tennessee, where her mother starred in a different sport. Tisha DeShields was an All-America heptathlete for the Tennessee women’s track team in 1991, when she was known as Tisha Milligan. She always wanted to go to Tennessee, as she admitted after signing with them. “This is the place I’ve dreamt of since I was a little girl, just being here and playing here at Tennessee.”

It was not the transfer portal era like today so she had to sit out one year due to NCAA transfer rules. With the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, DeShields felt at home, leading the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game during the 2016–17 season. Even though she had the option to play college ball for one more year and had even announced her return, she eventually chose to move abroad and play professionally in Turkey with Çukurova Basketbol. Therein, she averaged 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

DeShields was back in the US the following season, being drafted 3rd by the Chicago Sky.

Her talent and athleticism shined in her rookie season. After averaging 14.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while starting in 33 games, the guard earned a spot on the All-Rookie team. It was not long before she got that all-star call-up, either. Because by sophomore season in the league, she had moved up to an average of 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

She was hit with some setbacks from here on. First up came the back injury she sustained in Turkey. It would go on to reveal a tumor and eventually oblige a surgery. She returned for limited minutes and inconsistent home base, hopping between Sky, Mercury, and Wings. Now another injury puts a dark cloud over her future in the league.