Photo Courtesy of Cathy Kushner

HARRISONBURG, Va. – University of Delaware freshman forward/guard Elena Delle Donne was selected as the 2010 Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball Player and Rookie of the Year in voting by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. The announcement was made Wednesday evening at the CAA’s pre-tournament awards banquet in Harrisonburg, Va.

In addition to receiving top rookie and player honors, Delle Donne was also named to the All-Defensive Team and the All-Academic First Team.

Delle Donne is just the second player in conference history to earn CAA Player and Rookie of the Year accolades. She joins Old Dominion’s Lucienne Berthieu, who earned both honors in 1999. The Wilmington, Del. native leads the conference and ranks second in the nation in scoring with 26.9 points per game. She has already scored a school-record 673 points this season, which is the fifth-highest total in CAA history. Delle Donne also tops the conference in free throw (91.5%), three-point (44.4%) shooting percentage, and defensive rebounds (6.6 rpg). She has broken numerous records this season, including her CAA-record 54-point performance against James Madison on Feb. 18.

A three-time CAA Player of the Week and 10-time Rookie of the Week, Delle Donne also set the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with her 54 tallied against the Dukes. She is in contention to become the first freshman to lead the country in scoring.

A Wooden Award nominee and Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, Delle Donne has tallied 12 double-doubles, while posting six 30-plus point games and 21 20-plus point games this season.

Delle Donne currently leads the nation having scored 41.2 percent of her teams’ points in games in which she has played. She has scored 673 of the Hens’ 1,634 points in her 25 active games. Delle Donne is also the only player in the nation to rank in the top 50 in each of the three shooting percentages: field goals (50th), three-pointers (16th) and free throws (3rd).

Delle Donne was joined on the All-Academic Team by fellow Blue Hens sophomore guards Kayla Miller and Meghan McLean, and senior forward Farrah Ferguson. Miller and McLean were honored on the second team, while Ferguson received honorable mention accolades. Miller was also recognized as Delaware's nominee for the 2009-10 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.

Also receiving top honors from the league were Old Dominion’s Wendy Larry as CAA Coach of the Year and VCU’s Kita Waller as CAA Defensive Player of the Year. Drexel’s Gabriela Marginean and Georgia State’s Brittany Graham were chosen as co-recipients of the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.

Delaware, the No. 5 seed will face No. 12 seed George Mason on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the First Round of the CAA Tournament. UD posted a pair of victories over Mason earlier this season on Jan. 7 at the Patriot Center, 53-44, and on Feb. 8 at the Bob Carpenter Center, 67-63. The Patriots led both games at the half, but UD combined to outscore GMU, 72-47, in second-half action leading the Hens to victory.

AGATE:

2010 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
2010 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Wendy Larry, Old Dominion
2010 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
2010 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kita Waller, VCU
2010 DEAN EHLERS LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Brittany Graham, Georgia State & Gabriela Marginean, Drexel

ALL-CAA FIRST TEAM
Shanae Baker-Brice, Towson
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Dawn Evans, James Madison
Gabriela Marginean, Drexel
D’Andra Moss, VCU

ALL-CAA SECOND TEAM
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Danyiell McKeller, Georgia State
Jasmine Parker, Old Dominion
Taysha Pye, William & Mary
Kita Waller, VCU

ALL-CAA THIRD TEAM
Brittany Blackwell, UNC Wilmington
Jessica Canady, Old Dominion
Shadasia Green, Old Dominion
Courtney Hurt, VCU
Brittany Wilson, Northeastern

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Emily Correal, William & Mary
Amber Easter, George Mason
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Tarik Hislop, James Madison

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Tiffany Benson, William & Mary
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Jess Fuller, Hofstra
Jasmine Parker, Old Dominion
Kita Waller, VCU

ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM
Mari Buchan, Old Dominion
Marisa Crane, Drexel
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Angelee LaTouche, George Mason
Sarah Williams, James Madison

ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM
Candice Bellocchio, Hofstra
Nicole Capurso, Hofstra
Meghan McLean, Delaware
Kayla Miller, Delaware
Casey Sawhook, UNC Wilmington

ALL-ACADEMIC HONORABLE MENTION
Robyn Barton, William & Mary
Sam Brigham, Hofstra
Taryn Christian, Northeastern
Brittany Eley, George Mason
Farrah Ferguson, Delaware
Kiara Francisco, James Madison
Tyler Hale, Drexel
Rashauna Hobbs, George Mason
Courtney Hurt, VCU
Dani Iervolino, Northeastern
Greta Luksyte, UNC Wilmington
Gabriela Marginean, Drexel
Mia Mayberry, Northeastern
Lindsey Moller, William & Mary
Shay Rawls, Georgia State
Jasmina Rosseel, Drexel
Haliena Snowden, Towson
Chelsea Snyder, VCU
Jennifer Stjarnström, Drexel
Jalissa Taylor, James Madison
Aamira Terry, Hofstra
Isoken Uzamere, Hofstra