Elena Delle Donne
Encyclopedia
Elena Delle Donne is an American college basketball and volleyball player at the University of Delaware
.
Delle Donne was a high school basketball
player at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware
. She led Ursuline to three straight Delaware
State Championship titles and was ranked as the number-one overall high school recruit by Scout.com. She was the first and only student at Ursuline so far to score 2,000+ points during her high school career. Delle Donne is 6'5" and set the girls' high school national record for consecutive free throws made (80) in 2005–2006.
Following her senior season in high school (2007–2008), Delle Donne received a basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut
. On August 16, 2008, Delle Donne announced she would not accept the scholarship due to burnout
, and instead decided to enroll at the University of Delaware
and join their volleyball
team as a walk-on.
All-American. She participated in the 2007 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 17 points, and earned MVP honors for the Red team.
) and won the Conference tournament. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Oregon in the first round. Delle Donne did not continue on the volleyball team in 2009, but joined the basketball team.
, Delle Donne received a basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut
. However, in early June 2008 Delle Donne abruptly dropped out of Connecticut's summer school program after just two days in Storrs
.
A week after leaving Connecticut, Delle Donne said by telephone from her home in Wilmington that she has "a lot of personal issues to fix. Only my family understands what's going on. Right now I am going to take a long personal break." She took a similar break prior to the 2007-08 season in high school.
On June 2, 2009 Delle Donne announced that she would play basketball for the Blue Hens in the 2009-10 season as a redshirt freshman.
Delle Donne had a very productive freshman season. She averaged 26.7 points per game, the third-highest of all Division I women's basketball players. She scored 54 points against James Madison on February 18, 2010, which was the highest single-game point total by any Division I female basketball player that season. She was named the CAA Rookie of the Week six times, and the player of the week once during 2009-10.
She was voted the CAA's "Player of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" in women's basketball by CAA coaches, sports information directors and media. This was the first time a player had won both awards in one year since Old Dominion's Lucienne Berthieu
did so in 1999. No men's player has ever won both awards in the same season.
Elena was selected to the 2011 USA Basketball Team for the World University Games played August 12–23 in Shenzhen, China. Delle Donne led the team to a Gold Medal with a perfect 6-0 record and averages of 15.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In the Championship game won by the USA 101-66 over Taiwan, Elena scored 18 points on 8-14 shooting and led the team with 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
at Middle Tennessee State University
after transferring from Duke University
. Her older sister Elizabeth (Lizzie) is blind and deaf and suffers from autism and cerebral palsy.
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
.
Delle Donne was a high school basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. She led Ursuline to three straight Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
State Championship titles and was ranked as the number-one overall high school recruit by Scout.com. She was the first and only student at Ursuline so far to score 2,000+ points during her high school career. Delle Donne is 6'5" and set the girls' high school national record for consecutive free throws made (80) in 2005–2006.
Following her senior season in high school (2007–2008), Delle Donne received a basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. On August 16, 2008, Delle Donne announced she would not accept the scholarship due to burnout
Burnout (psychology)
Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners have the highest proportion of burnout cases; according to a recent Dutch study in Psychological Reports, no less than 40% of these experienced high levels of...
, and instead decided to enroll at the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
and join their volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team as a walk-on.
High school
Delle Donne was named a WBCAWomen's Basketball Coaches Association
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
All-American. She participated in the 2007 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 17 points, and earned MVP honors for the Red team.
Volleyball
Delle Donne won the volleyball DIAA state championship with Ursuline in 2007. She posted a season high 20 kills against Padua during a game involving the number one and two teams in the state. In college, she played middle hitter at UD for the 2008–2009 season. The 2008 Delaware Blue Hens finished their season with a record of 19–16. They were 9–5 in their conference (Colonial Athletic AssociationColonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
) and won the Conference tournament. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Oregon in the first round. Delle Donne did not continue on the volleyball team in 2009, but joined the basketball team.
Basketball
Following an outstanding prep career during which she became the most highly-touted women's basketball recruit since Candace ParkerCandace Parker
Candace Nicole Parker is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and is also the younger sister of NBA player Anthony Parker. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008...
, Delle Donne received a basketball scholarship from the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
. However, in early June 2008 Delle Donne abruptly dropped out of Connecticut's summer school program after just two days in Storrs
Storrs
Storrs may refer to:* Storrs, Connecticut, a US village* Storrs Hall, a listed building in Cumbria, EnglandPeople with the surname Storrs:* Francis Storrs* George Storrs , American preacher, Christian writer, and editor...
.
A week after leaving Connecticut, Delle Donne said by telephone from her home in Wilmington that she has "a lot of personal issues to fix. Only my family understands what's going on. Right now I am going to take a long personal break." She took a similar break prior to the 2007-08 season in high school.
On June 2, 2009 Delle Donne announced that she would play basketball for the Blue Hens in the 2009-10 season as a redshirt freshman.
Delle Donne had a very productive freshman season. She averaged 26.7 points per game, the third-highest of all Division I women's basketball players. She scored 54 points against James Madison on February 18, 2010, which was the highest single-game point total by any Division I female basketball player that season. She was named the CAA Rookie of the Week six times, and the player of the week once during 2009-10.
She was voted the CAA's "Player of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" in women's basketball by CAA coaches, sports information directors and media. This was the first time a player had won both awards in one year since Old Dominion's Lucienne Berthieu
Lucienne Berthieu
Lucienne Claudine Berthieu-Poiraud is a French-Cameroonian women's basketball player. She played in the WNBA in the United States from 2002-2004 with the Cleveland Rockers and Houston Comets. In 43 games, she averaged 3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. She played college basketball at Old...
did so in 1999. No men's player has ever won both awards in the same season.
Elena was selected to the 2011 USA Basketball Team for the World University Games played August 12–23 in Shenzhen, China. Delle Donne led the team to a Gold Medal with a perfect 6-0 record and averages of 15.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In the Championship game won by the USA 101-66 over Taiwan, Elena scored 18 points on 8-14 shooting and led the team with 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
Basketball awards and honors
- McDonald's All-American TeamMcDonald's All-American TeamThe McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball...
2008 - USA Today National Player of the Year 2008
- Naismith Prep Player of the YearNaismith Prep Player of the Year AwardThe Naismith Prep Player of the Year award, named for Canadian basketball inventor James Naismith, is given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to high school basketball's top male and female player...
2008 - Gatorade National Player of the Year 2008
- EA SPORTS Player of the Year 2008
- Third Team, All-America, Parade Magazine, 2007
- Gatorade State Player of the Year, 2007
- First-ever cover subject of GIRL magazine, 2007
- Slam Magazine All-American First Team, 2006
- Women's Basketball Magazine All-American First Team, 2006
- Parade All American First Team, 2006
- Sports Illustrated All-American Second Team, 2006
- EA Sports All-American, 2006
- USA Today All-American Third Team, 2006
- Gatorade State Player of the Year, 2006
- All-State First Team 2006
- Scout/FCP SUPER SIX, 2005
- Parade All-America Fourth Team, 2005
- EA Sports All-America, 2005
- Gatorade Delaware Player of the Year, 2005
- DSBA Delaware Player of the Year, 2005
- Street & Smith All-American Third Team, 2005
- All-State First Team 2005
- USA Today Freshman All-America, 2004
- Nike All-America Camp, 2004
- Honorable Mention, Street & Smith Preseason All-America, 2004
- All-State First Team 2004
- USA Today First Team All-America 2008
Personal
Her parents are Ernie, a real estate developer, and Joanie. Her older brother Gene is currently a tight endTight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
at Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
after transferring from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. Her older sister Elizabeth (Lizzie) is blind and deaf and suffers from autism and cerebral palsy.