Delle Donne Named Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention
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March 30, 2011
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
NEW YORK CITY --Despite missing 12 games this season, University of Delaware sophomore Elena Delle Donne was named to the Associated Press women’s basketball All-America team, earning Honorable Mention plaudits.
“The fact that Elena missed half the season and was still recognized is a great accomplishment,” said Delaware head coach Tina Martin, who concluded her 15th season with a 20-14 overall record. “For her to still produce like that after her illness is a testament to her drive and competitiveness.”
This marks the second straight season the Wilmington, Del. native has been named to the All-America team, earning a spot on the third team as a rookie last season. She is the only Blue Hen in program history to earn All-America honors.
Delle Donne, a versatile 6-5 guard/forward, was joined on the Honorable Mention list by three other Colonial Athletic Association players; Dawn Evans from James Madison University, Shante Evans of Hofstra University and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Courtney Hurt.
The First Team All-America team was comprised of Maya Moore from the University of Connecticut, Brittney Griner of Baylor University, Ohio State University’s Jantel Lavender, Danielle Adams from Texas A&M and Stanford University’s Jeanette Pohlen.
Delle Donne missed 12 games in the middle of the season with symptoms of Lyme disease, but played some of her best basketball down the stretch. She averaged 25.3 points per game during the CAA conference tournament and was deadly from the free throw line during those four games, missing just one free throw on 32 attempts.
She was a key component to Delaware’s spirited run to the conference finals as the Hens entered the tournament as the seven seed. Delaware won the first three games, knocking out No. 10 Northeastern, second-seeded Old Dominion and the three seed, UNC Wilmington.
Delaware fell in the CAA Finals to eventual champion and top seeded James Madison 67-61, but received a bit to the WNIT.
With a season points per game average of 25.3, Delle Donne would lead the nation, but did not qualify. The NCAA requires a player to play in 75 percent of her team’s games. Delle Donne played in 22 of Delaware’s 34 games (64.7 percent).
During the season, Delle Donne surpassed the 30-point mark on eight occasions, including in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament against eventual semifinalist University of Toledo.
Delle Donne became one of the fastest players in NCAA history to reach the 1,000-point mark, knocking down a free throw in the second half of the Feb. 3 game versus Northeastern. It was just her 38th game, the second-fewest amount of games needed in NCAA and the fastest both in CAA and Delaware history.
With her 774 points last season and 557 in just 22 games this year, Delle Donne has amassed 1,331 points, putting her just 344 points off the all-time points record, set by Cindy Johnson from 1997-2001.
Agate:
First Team
Maya Moore, Connecticut
Brittney Griner, Baylor
Jantel Lavender, The Ohio State
Danielle Adams, Texas A&M
Jeanette Pohlen, Stanford
Second Team
Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma
Amber Harris, Xavier
Courtney Vandersloot
Nnemka Ogwumike
Jasmine Thomas, Duke
Third Team
Shekinna Strickland, Tennessee
Shenise Johnson, Miami (FL)
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
Ta'Shia Phillips, Xavier
Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Honorable Mention
Kachine Alexander, Iowa
Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee
Kelsey Bolte, Iowa State
Jessica Breland, North Carolina
Cierra Brevard, Florida State
Kourtney Brown, Buffalo
Sydney Colson, Texas A&M
Jasmine Dixon, UCLA
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Dawn Evans, James Madison
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Briana Gilbreth, Southern Cal
Keisha Hampton, DePaul
Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut
Courtney Hurt, Virginia Commonwealth
Ify Ibukwe, Arizona
Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern
Jessica Jenkins, Hampton
Adrienne Johnson, Louisiana Tech
Melissa Jones, Baylor
Kalisha Keane, Michigan State
Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts
Deirdre Naughton, DePaul
Yinka Olorunnife, Idaho
Kayla Pedersen, Stanford
Jaime Printy, Iowa
Jence Rhoads, Vanderbilt
Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Carolyn Swords, Boston College
Riquna Williams, Miami
