Delle Donne Named One of Five Finalists for 2011 Premier Player Trophy of Women's College Basketball
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March 16, 2011
• PremierPlayer.com Fan Poll
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
TAMPA, Fla. – Beginning last November, fans had the opportunity to vote throughout the college basketball season for the 2011 Premier Player of the Year award. The University of Delaware’s own Elena Delle Donne was one of the top five vote-getters in the polls and has a chance to become the first-ever Premier Player of Women’s Basketball Trophy winner.
The second-year Blue Hen is the only sophomore to be among the five finalists and one of two players form a mid-major conference. She is joined by senior Chastity Reed from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, Duke University junior Jasmine Thomas, Kachine Alexander, a senior guard from the University of Iowa, and Maya Moore, a senior forward from the University of Connecticut.
Fans can vote for Delle Donne by logging on to PremierPlayers.com and navigating to the “Vote” tab at the top of the page or by clicking here.
Delle Donne, a 6-5 sophomore All-American, became Delaware’s 22nd player to score 1,000 points this season. She was the fastest student-athlete in school and Colonial Athletic Association history to reach the mark, doing so on a free throw in her 38th career game. In doing so, Delle Donne became the fifth-fastest player in NCAA history to reach 1,000 points.
During the 2011 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CAA Championship tournament, Delle Donne led the team on a spirited trip to the finals. Behind two double-doubles from Delle Donne, No. 10 seed Delaware knocked off second-seeded Old Dominion 72-55. The next day, Delaware got by the three seed UNC Wilmington by a 62-47 score.
The Hens battled the defending champion and top-seeded Dukes of James Madison University before falling 67-61 in the title game.
Delaware was rewarded for its appearance in the CAA Championship game and was selected to participate in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, which begins play today against the University of Toledo at 7 p.m.
Despite missing 12 games this season for symptoms associated with Lyme disease, Delle Donne averaged 25.0 points per game. She would lead the nation but has not played in the required 75.0 percent of the team’s games this season (25 games needed).
Delle Donne, a two-time first team All-CAA selection, has been sharp from the field this season, hitting 167 of her 398 shots (42.0 percent), including a solid 35.4 percent from beyond the arc (34-96). She has been nearly automatic from the free throw line, knocking down 94.0 percent of her attempts, including a school-record 52 in a row at one point.
The team’s leading rebounder, she averages 8.0 per contest, pulling down 167 in her 21 games this season. Delle Donne has been outstanding on defense as well, blocking 55 opponent shots, including 16 during the four-day CAA tournament. She has blocked at least one shot in each of the last 14 games.
The winner of the Premier Player Award will join Arkansas football quarterback Ryan Mallett as the first recipients of the award in their particular sport. The new polls close April 4, and the trophies will be presented on April 16 in Charlotte, N.C., prior to the tipoff of the Jordan Brand Classic Basketball Tournament at the Time Warner Arena.
The Premier Player of College Basketball is one of three major awards presented by the Premier Players Sports Foundation. It will be presented annually in Charlotte each April during a charitable awards dinner. Others include the Premier Player of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner, held annually in Tampa, Fla., the weekend after the BCS national championship game, and the Premier Player of College Baseball/Softball Charitable Awards Dinner held annually in Atlanta, Ga., each July. Proceeds from the events benefit local charities in their respective cities.
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