Elena Delle Donne

Elena Delle Donne

Delle Donne at the 2014 World Basketball Festival
No. 11 – Chicago Sky
Position Guard / Forward
League WNBA
Personal information
Born September 5, 1989
Wilmington, Delaware
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight 170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High school Ursuline Academy
(Wilmington, Delaware)
College Delaware (2008–2013)
WNBA draft 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Chicago Sky
Pro career 2013–present
Career history
2013–present Chicago Sky
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com

Elena Delle Donne (born September 5, 1989) is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Sky in the Women's National Basketball Association.

High school

Delle Donne gained national recognition as a high school basketball star 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 as well as a McDonald's All-American.[1] She was the first and only student at Ursuline so far to score 2,000+ points during her high school career and also set the girls' high school national record for consecutive free throws made (80) in 2005–2006.[2]

Delle Donne was also named a WBCA All-American.[3] She participated in the 2007 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 17 points,[3] and earned MVP honors for the Red team.[4]

She also participated in 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.

College

Delle Donne in 2008
Delle Donne playing for the University of Delaware

Following an outstanding prep career during which she became the most highly touted women's basketball recruit since Candace Parker, 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. Delle Donne was very close to her family, especially her older sister Lizzie, who has cerebral palsy, and is blind and deaf. She was not ready to be separated from her family.[5] Gene, Elena's brother and the middle child of the Delle Donne family, would say in a 2012 ESPN story on his younger sister:

"Her relationship with Lizzie is huge. It's so close. It's a big reason why she is such a homebody who came home from UConn, because she craves to be around Lizzie and to experience Lizzie grabbing her and sniffing her and just spend quality time with her."[6]

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."[7] She took a similar break prior to the 2007–08 season in high school.[8]

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.[9] She played middle hitter at UD for the 2008–09 season.[10] The 2008 Delaware Blue Hens finished their season with a record of 19–16. They were 9–5 in their conference (Colonial Athletic Association) and won the Conference tournament. They earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Oregon in the first round.[11] Delle Donne did not continue on the volleyball team in 2009, but joined the basketball team.

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.[12] In 2012, ESPN writer Graham Hays would say about her return to the sport that "it cannot be complete coincidence that it came the year Gene returned to Delaware and went to work for his dad's company."[6]

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.[13] She scored 54 points in a loss against James Madison on February 18, 2010, which was the highest single-game point total by any Division I female basketball player that season.[14] She was named the CAA Rookie of the Week six times, and the player of the week once during 2009–10.[15]

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.[16]

Delle Donne with gold medal earned in China

In her sophomore season, the team started off well, but then Delle Donne began to develop flu-like symptoms. In a game against Penn State, she asked to be taken out of the game, something she had never done before. After many tests, the doctors finally diagnosed her with Lyme disease. She struggled the rest of the season, but she helped her team reach the finals of the conference tournament and an invitation to the Women's NIT.[5]

Delle Donne 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 averaged 15.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. In the Championship game won by the USA 101–66 over Taiwan, Delle Donne scored 18 points on 8–14 shooting and led the team with 11 rebounds and 8 assists.

As a junior, Delle Donne led the nation in scoring, finishing the season with an average of 28.1 points per game.[17]

On February 16, 2012, Delle Donne scored 42 points in a win over Hofstra, eclipsing the 2,000 point mark for her career.

During the 2012–13 season, Delle Donne again fought Lyme disease, missing four games due to the illness. Delle Donne returned on December 12 against Maryland and led the team with 19 points and 6 rebounds in a 69–53 loss. This game was the largest crowd (5,089) to ever to see a women's basketball game at the Bob Carpenter Center, the Blue Hens' homecourt.[18]

Delle Donne has led her team in scoring in 22 regular season games during her senior season, as well as in rebounds (12 times).[19] She has also scored more than 30 points on five occasions this season, leading her team to a 27–3 regular season record entering CAA Conference tournament play.

WNBA career

Following her collegiate career, Delle Donne was selected second overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, a team that went 14–20 in the 2012 season. She was one of twelve players to be invited to the event.[20] Delle Donne scored 22 points in her debut against fellow rookie Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury. The Sky went on to win the game, 102-80.[21] She led all players in votes for the 2013 WNBA All-Star Game, the first time a rookie has done so in league history.[22] She missed the game, however, due to a concussion.[23]

After the All-Star break, Delle Donne returned to action, and continued to play at a high level. The Chicago Sky qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Delle Donne was rewarded with the 2013 Rookie of the Year award.

WNBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013 Chicago 303031.4.426.438.9295.61.80.71.818.1
2014 Chicago 16925.5.429.364.9334.01.10.61.517.9
Career 463939.3.427.411.9315.01.50.61.718.0


Awards and honors

Basketball

Student-athlete awards

Personal life

Her parents are Ernie, a real estate developer, and Joanie. Her older brother Gene played college football as a tight end, first at Duke and then Middle Tennessee; after he graduated from Middle Tennessee in 2009, he returned to Delaware to work in their father's company.[6] Her older sister Elizabeth (Lizzie) is blind and deaf and has autism and cerebral palsy.[35]

In February 2014, Delle Donne was named a Special Olympics Global Ambassador.[36] She also played in the 3rd annual NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game during All-Star weekend, alongside Special Olympics athletes, NBA legends and current WNBA and NBA players.[37]

References

  1. ↑ "Women's Basketball Recruiting". Girlshoops.scout.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Delle Donne happy to be back". ESPN. October 16, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "WBCA High School All-America Game Box Scores". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "WBCA High School All-America Game Team MVP's". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Farnum, Amy (December 26, 2011). "Delle Donne back to superstar form". NCAA. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hays, Graham (December 5, 2012). "Comfort Zone". espnW. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ Schwarz, Mark (June 11, 2008). "Nation's top recuit says break is 'deeper than basketball'". ESPN. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  8. ↑ Nelson, Glenn (July 6, 2007). "Recruiting pressure forces Delle Donne to take hiatus". ESPN. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ Greenberg, Mel (August 25, 2008). "Della Donne Admits Basketball 'Burnout'; Joins Delaware Volleyball Team". Women's Hoops Guru blog. Archived from the original on September 3, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Elena DelleDonne joins UD volleyball team". University of Delaware. August 26, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ "2009 University of Delaware Volleyball Media Guide" (PDF). University of Delaware. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Elena Delle Donne". WNBAdraft.net. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Delaware Women's Basketball National Ranking Summary Through Games 3/30/2010". NCAA. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
  14. ↑ "NCAA Women's Basketball". NCAA. February 18, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Delaware women's basketball: Delle Donne wins CAA rookie of the week honors for sixth time". delawareonline.tv. February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2010. (subscription required)
  16. ↑ Byrne, Tom (March 11, 2010). "Delle Donne pulls off rare CAA awards double". WHYY. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  17. ↑ "NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Statistics - 2011-12". ESPN. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Blue Hen Winning Streak Snapped as #9/8 Maryland Pulls Away Late for 69–53 Victory". BlueHens.com. December 20, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Delaware – Season Statistics". Bluehens.com. 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Elena Delle Donne Headlines List of Top College Prospects Invited to Attend 2013 WNBA Draft" (Press release). University of Delaware. April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Chicago Sky vs. Phoenix Mercury - Recap". ESPN. May 27, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Rookie Elena Delle Donne Top Vote Getter in 2013 WNBA All-Star Balloting Presented by Boost Mobile" (Press release). WNBA. July 18, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  23. ↑ "2013 WNBA All-Star Game - Elena Delle Donne replaced by Erika de Souza". ESPN. July 26, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 24.7 24.8 24.9 24.10 24.11 24.12 24.13 24.14 "Roster – Women's Basketball". University of Delaware. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  25. ↑ Kallam, Clay (December 23, 2009). "All-Decade Girls Basketball Team". ESPN. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 "Former University of Delaware All-American, Current NFL Starter Paul Worrilow Honored as DSBA Athlete of the Year" (Press release). University of Delaware. February 17, 2014.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 "Elena Delle Donne". 2013–14 Delaware Blue Hen Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Delaware Sports Infotmation. pp. 38–39. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 28.7 28.8 28.9 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 "2012–13 CAA Women's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Colonial Athletic Association. pp. 36–50. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Elena Delle Donne Named 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year". WBNA.com. September 20, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  30. ↑ "All-WNBA Teams". WNBA. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  31. ↑ "PAST HONDA SPORTS AWARD WINNERS FOR BASKETBALL". THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Tyler Zeller of UNC, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne headline Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Basketball Teams". College Sports Information Directors of America. February 23, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, Ohio State's Aaron Craft top Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Basketball Teams". College Sports Information Directors of America. April 18, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  34. ↑ "NCAA selects Today’s Top 10 for 2014" (Press release). NCAA. November 8, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  35. ↑ Delaware Today Magazine, November 2009
  36. ↑ "Elena Delle Donne Named Special Olympics Global Ambassador" (Press release). Special Olympics. February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  37. ↑ "NBA Cares: Third Annual NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Sports® Basketball Game Tips Off at NBA All-Star 2014". NBA. February 10, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.

External links