Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

LOS ANGELES -- University of Delaware freshman sensation Elena Delle Donne was one of 22 players named to the official John R. Wooden Award National Ballot announced today. The ballot decides the Women’s 2010 Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate female basketball player. Delle Donne, who doubles as the Colonial Athletic Association’s Player and Rookie of the Year, was the only freshman on the final ballot and one of a combined three from the freshman and sophomore classes.

A record 10 conferences had players chosen to the ballot, with no conference having more than three selections. In addition to the Pac 10, Big East and Big 12, the CAA is one of just four conferences to have three players named. Drexel’s Gabriela Marginean and James Madison’s Dawn Evans also made the final cut.

Delle Donne leads the 21-11 Blue Hens, the CAA, and ranks second nationally in scoring with a potent 26.8 points scored per game. She has recorded 12 double-doubles this season, while averaging 9.0 rebounds per game to rank second in the league and 60th nationally.

The 6-5 rookie who doubles as a Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, was named the CAA Player and/or Rookie of the Week on 10 occasions this season. A Wilmington, Del. native, Delle Donne also leads the conference in free throw percentage (89.9%), three-point field goal percentage (40.5%), and defensive rebounds (6.5 rpg).

A distinguished panel of voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from around the nation, have until 3 p.m. EST on Monday, March 30 to cast their votes, a long voting period that allows voters to evaluate players up through games of the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. All players on the ballots have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Last year’s Wooden Award winner, Maya Moore of No. 1-ranked Connecticut, returns to the 2010 ballot. She is averaging 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. In addition to Moore, six other players return from the 2009 Wooden Award ballot: Jayne Appel of Stanford; the nation’s top scorer, Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee; Jantel Lavender of Ohio State; Xavier’s Ta’Shia Phillips; Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley; and Monica Wright of Virginia.

The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winner, and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award to Florida’s Billy Donovan, will take place on April 9, 2010. Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), and Blake Griffin (’09). Tennessee’s Candace Parker won the Women’s Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The all day tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All-Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award weekend.

Delaware will next take the court at the Bob Carpenter Center, Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. to take on the University of Richmond in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

For more information please visit: www.woodenaward.com

John R. Wooden Ballot: Jayne Appel, Stanford; Tina Charles, Connecticut; Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee; Elena Delle Donne, Delaware; Dawn Evans, James Madison; Kalana Greene, Connecticut; Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska; Amber Harris, Xavier; Allison Hightower, LSU; Jantel Lavender, Ohio State; Gabriela Marginean, Drexel; Maya Moore, Connecticut; Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford; Kayla Pedersen, Stanford; Ta’Shia Phillips, Xavier; Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State; Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State; Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma; Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee; Jasmine Thomas, Duke; Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga; Monica Wright, Virginia.