Zeda made her debut for WWE on the NXT brand on May 13, 2017, as part of a battle royal at a house show in Dade City, Florida, wrestling under her real name. In July, she competed in the first Mae Young Classic. She lost in the first round of the tournament to eventual runner-up Shayna Baszler. She wrestled on house shows and occasionally on the brand's television program, WWE NXT, until her release on June 2, 2018.