DeShasier began to compete at senior national level in 2008. She threw a personal record of 53.74 m in Edwardsville that July and came close to that mark to take fifth place overall at the United States Olympic Trials. She improved in both placing and performance at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, coming fourth with a new best mark of 55.08 m. She had a similar peak the following year, as her throw of 55.53 m at the 2010 nationals brought her her first podium finish at the event, taking third place behind Kara Patterson and Rachel Yurkovich. These finishing positions were repeated at the 2011 USA Outdoors and although she did not have the qualifying standard for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, she was selected for the 2011 Pan American Games instead.