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Diamond DeShields reveals spinal tumor surgery, painful recovery struggle for 1st time

Diamond DeShields has the best comeback story no one knew about — until now.

When DeShields won the WNBA title with the Chicago Sky in Oct 2021, no one outside her immediate circle knew that just 21 months earlier, she'd undergone a nine-hour surgery to remove a rare benign tumor that was compressing her spine. No one knew that she'd considered retirement while trying to recover, dealing with tremors she couldn't control.

In an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, the 27-year-old DeShields, who is now with the Phoenix Mercury, talked about her struggle for the first time, revealing her diagnosis, the grueling recovery process and the championship triumph she achieved after overcoming such enormous obstacles.