Women's Basketball - BlueHens.com

Delle Donne Named to Naismith Preseason Watch List

November 9, 2010

File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

ATLANTA – The preseason accolades continue to roll in for University of Delaware women's basketball standout Elena Delle Donne was named to the 2010-11 Naismith Preseason Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Tuesday.

The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010-11 college basketball season. Tha Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded on April 4, 2011 at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Indianapolis.

Delle Donne (at right) is just one of two Colonial Athletic Association players on the list, joined by fellow CAA Co-Player of the Year Dawn Evans. Delle Donne has also been named to the Preseason Wooden Award and Wade Trophy Watch Lists, as well as earning votes as a Preseason All-American.

Delle Donne is joined on the 50-player list by only five other sophomores on the list. Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame, Brittney Griner of Baylor, A’Dia Mathies of Kentucky, Ta’Shauna Rodgers of Georgetown and Shenneika Smith of St. John’s join her on the watch list.

Following her freshman season, the 6-5 Wilmington, Del. native became the first UD player to be named an All-American after being selected to the AP’s Third Team and earned Honorable Mention on the WBCA State Farm team.

Delle Donne dominated the court in 2009-10, averaging 26.7 points per game, ranking her third in the nation and first in the CAA. She also pulled down 8.8 boards a game while also blocking a league second-best 60 shots.

In just one season, she broke 18 school records, including points in a season with 774, which also set the freshman record at Delaware. Delle Donne also set the points in a game record after a 54-point effort versus James Madison on Feb. 12.

After an outstanding season, Delle Donne was tabbed the conference’s Player and Rookie of the Year, just the second time in the league’s 25-year history a player has won both awards in the same season. She was also selected to the CAA’s First Team as well as All-Rookie, All-Defense and All-CAA-Tournament Teams, while also earning First Team All-CAA Academic Team honors.

Since 2005, presenting sponsor AT&T has set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining the trophy winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25% of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award.

In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.

Delle Donne and the Blue Hens, under the direction of 15th-year head coach Tina Martin, open the 2010-11 season on Friday, Nov. 12 when Delaware hosts UMBC. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Bob Carpenter Center.

Agate:
2010-11 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List

Danielle Adams, Texas A&M; Kachine Alexander, Iowa; LaSondra Barrett, LSU; Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee; Kelsey Bolte, Iowa State; Jessica Breland, North Carolina; Kelley Cain, Tennessee; Cetera DeGraffenreid, North Carolina; Elena Delle Donne, Delaware; Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame; Jasmine Dixon, UCLA; Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky; Dawn Evans, James Madison; Casey Garrison, Missouri State; Brittney Griner, Baylor; Keisha Hampton, DePaul; Amber Harris, Xavier; Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut; Ify Ibekwe, Arizona; Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern; Shenise Johnson, Miami (Florida); Melissa Jones, Baylor; Jantel Lavender, Ohio State; Italee Lucas, North Carolina; A’dia Mathies, Kentucky; Sarah Miles, West Virginia; Alex Montgomery, Georgia Tech; Maya Moore, Connecticut; Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford; Kayla Pedersen, Stanford; Ta’Shia Phillips, Xavier; Jeanette Pohlen, Stanford; Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State; Lauren Prochaska, Ohio State; Chastity Reed, Arkansas-Little Rock; Monique Reid, Louisville; Jence Rhoads, Vanderbilt; Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma; Ta’Shauna Rodgers, Georgetown; Shenneika Smith, St. John’s; Brittany Spears, Colorado; Da’Shena Stevens, St. John’s; Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee; Helena Sverrisdottir, TCU; Carolyn Swords, Boston College; Louella Tomlinson, St. Mary’s; Jasmine Thomas, Duke; Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga; Courtney Ward, Florida State; Riquna Williams, Miami (Flordia)

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