Photo by Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- Redshirt freshman Elena Delle Donne, who led the women's basketball squad to a 3-0 week and made an impressive showing in her much-anticipated home debut, is the Army ROTC Best of the Blue Hens Athlete of the Week for the period ending December 14.

Delle Donne, a 6-5 guard/forward from Wilmington, Del. (Ursuline Academy) and an early childhood education major at Delaware, led the Blue Hens (6-3) to a perfect 3-0 week as she led the team to a 52-50 victory on the road at Maine and to wins of 67-50 over Navy Friday night and 54-36 over La Salle on Sunday at the Bob Carpenter Center.

A high school All-American and one of 50 candidates for the Naismith Award as the top player in women's college basketball, Delle Donne averaged 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in the three victories as Delaware extended its winning streak to four games.

She opened the week by scoring 26 points, including the game-winning jumper with one second left to play, and pulling 12 rebounds in the 52-50 win at Maine.

In the home opening win vs. Navy, Delle Donne excited the record crowd of 3,040 (for a home opener) as she made 11 of 17 shots from the field and finished with 26 points and six rebounds. In the win over LaSalle, she tallied 17 points while also pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out three assists.

In the three games, she made 26 of 53 shots from the field (.490), 7 of 15 three-pointers (.467), and 10 of 12 free throws (.833).

For her efforts, she also earned Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season.

She currently leads the Blue Hens in scoring (23.4 points per game), rebounding (8.7 per game), assists (2.5 per game), blocks (11), three-point field goals (15), and free throw shooting (.892) and ranks among the top 10 in the CAA in almost every statistical category.

Delaware takes a week off for final exams and will return action Dec. 22 when the Hens host Buffalo at 6 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Past Winners:

2009-10 Season
Dec. 14 - Elena Delle Donne (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 7 - Grady Carter (Men's Swimming)
Nov. 30 - Lauren Carra (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 23 - Pat Devlin (Football)
Nov. 16 - Michelle LaLonde (Volleyball)
Nov. 9 - Noelle Diana (Field Hockey)
Nov. 2 - Chris Bourke (Men's Cross Country)
Oct. 25 - Elena Berry (Women's Tennis)
Oct. 18 - Jessie Ermak (Women's Cross Country)
Oct. 11 - Kevin McLister (Golf)
Oct. 4 - Darren Christie (Men's Soccer)
Sept. 28 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)
Sept. 21 - Chris Bourke (Men's Cross Country)
Sept. 14 - Charles Graves (Football)
Sept. 7 - Casey Howard (Field Hockey)

2008-09 Season
June 1 - Kelli McDonald (Women's Track & Field)
May 25 - Bill Merkler (Baseball)
May 18 - Ryan Cuneo (Baseball)
May 11 - Novice Fours Crew (Women's Rowing)
May 4 - Jessica Cerveny (Women's Lacrosse)
Apr. 26 - John Hally (Men's Track & Field)
Apr. 19 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Track & Field)
Apr. 12 - Curtis Dickson (Men's Lacrosse)
Apr. 5 - Stephanie Allen (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 29 - Michelle Grap (Softball)
Mar. 22 - Justin Martinson (Golf)
Mar. 15 - Ryan Reed (Baseball)
Mar. 8 - Amanda Marshall (Women's Indoor Track& Field)
Mar. 1 - Hans Gillan (Men's Swimming)
Feb. 22 - Karen Mandrachia (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Feb. 15 - Curtis Dickson (Men's Lacrosse)
Feb. 8 - Marc Egerson (Men's Basketball)
Feb. 1 - John Viotto (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 25 - Matt Abbruzzese (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Jan. 19 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 12 - Hans Gillan (Men's Swimming)
Jan. 5 - Marc Egerson (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 29 - Tesia Harris (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 21 - D.J. Boney (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 14 - Jawan Carter (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 7 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Nov. 30 - Jess Chason (Volleyball)
Nov. 23 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Cross Country)
Nov. 16 - Tesia Harris (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 9 - Katie Dennehy (Volleyball)
Nov. 2 - Andy Streilein (Men's Soccer)
Oct. 25 - Junior Jabbie (Football)
Oct. 18 - Caitlyn Germain (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 11 - Grady Carter (Men's Swimming)
Oct. 5 - Colin Smith (Golf)
Sept. 29 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)
Sept. 22 - Andre Vorobyov (Men's Tennis)
Sept. 15 - Colin Smith (Golf)
Sept. 8 - Amanda Campbell (Women's Tennis)
Sept. 1 - Anthony Walters (Football)

2007-08 Season
May 19 - Asha Quant (Women's Outdoor Track)
May 12 - Novice Eights (Women's Rowing)
May 5 - David Slovak (Baseball)
Apr. 28 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Apr. 21 - Chase Renoll (Men's Outdoor Track & Field)
Apr. 14 - Tommy Ellison (Golf)
Apr. 7 - Susan Pollack (Women's Tennis)
Mar. 31 - Emily Schaknowski (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 24 - Asha Quant (Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Mar. 16 - Anne Marie Pagano (Softball)
Mar. 9 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Mar. 2 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Feb. 25 - Ryan Cuneo (Baseball)
Feb. 18 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Feb. 11 - Vincent Giordano (Men's Lacrosse)
Feb. 4 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Jan. 28 - John Viotto (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 21 - Kelli McDonald (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 14 - Herb Courtney (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 7 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Dec. 31 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 24 - Alphonso Dawson (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 16 - Mark Duncan (Football)
Dec. 9 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Dec. 2 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Nov. 26 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Nov. 19 - Megan Welch (Volleyball)
Nov. 12 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 5 - Sobhan Tadjalli (Men's Soccer)
Oct. 29 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Cross Country)
Oct. 22 - Emily Sammis (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 15 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Oct. 8 - Kyle Schmid (Men's Cross Country)
Oct. 1 - Colleen Walsh (Volleyball)
Sept. 23 - Nolan Greenberg (Men's Tennis)
Sept. 16 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Sept. 9 - Jason Bernstein (Golf)
Sept. 2 - Casey Howard (Field Hockey)
Aug. 26 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)

2006-07 Season
Jan. 30 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track)
Feb. 4 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Feb. 11 - Sam McMahon (Men's Basketball)
Feb. 18 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Feb. 25 - Adam Zuder-Havens (Men's Lacrosse)
Mar. 2 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track)
Mar. 12 - Debbie Sloan (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 19 - Tyresa Smith (Women's Basketball)
Mar. 26 - Joe McLister (Golf)
Apr. 2 - Carolynn Sloat (Softball)
Apr. 9 - Bryan Hagerich (Baseball)
Apr. 16 - Alexi Capsouras (Women's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 23 - Jared Wasser (Men's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 30 - Alex Smith (Men's Lacrosse)
May 7 - David Slovak (Baseball)
May 14 - Tommy Scherr (Men's Lacrosse)
May 21 - Dan Deckelbaum (Men's Lacrosse)
May 28 - Mike McGuire (Baseball)