Delaware's Delle Donne Repeats as Capital One Academic All-America Women's Basketball Member of the Year

Delaware's Delle Donne Repeats as Capital One Academic All-America Women's Basketball Member of the Year

Bookmark and Share

TOWSON, Md. - University of Delaware senior Elena Delle Donne continues to make history as she was honored Thursday as just the fourth Division I women's basketball player ever to be named the winner of the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year in back-to-back seasons by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Delle Donne joins Maya Moore of Connecticut (2010-11, 2009-10), Karen Jennings of Nebraska (1992-93, 1991-92) and Michelle Flamoe of Oregon State (1988-89, 1987-88) as the only scholar-athletes to be named as Women's Basketball Team Member of they Year in back-to-back seasons.

A human services major with a 3.62 grade point average, Delle Donne has led No. 18 Delaware to a 23-3 overall record and a mark of 14-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play.  The Blue Hens are in the midst of an 18-game winning streak and have won 33 straight CAA regular season contests, the third longest streak in the NCAA behind Baylor (Big 12) and Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun).

Delle Donne, who missed six games this season due to symptoms of Lyme Disease, is second in the nation in scoring with a 25.0 average.  She is also seventh in the NCAA in free throw percentage with a .913 mark.  A native of Wilmington, Del., she ranks 25th in the nation with 2.3 blocked shots per game and her 49.7 field goal percentage is good for 50th nationally.

Delle Donne also averaged 8.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  Earlier this season, she connected on 41 consecutive free throw attempts, the second longest streak in school history compared to her previous mark of 52 made.

Honored as the CAA Player of the Week six times so far this season, Delle Donne was the espnW National Player of the Week and the College Sports Madness High-Major Player of the Week on Feb. 4.  A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, the CAA Preseason Player of the Year is also on the Wade Watch List, the Naismith Watch List and is a John R. Wooden Award Top 20 honoree.

Delle Donne owns 15 of the top 16 scoring games in UD history and has scored 20-or-more points in 86 games in addition to topping the 30-point mark 33 times. She also has 42 career double doubles.

With 2,758 career points, Delle Donne is the CAA's all-time scoring leader and is 20th in NCAA Division I history.  A three-time All-American, she also holds CAA records for field goals made (932), free throws made (702) and free throw attempts (773). Delle Donne has also been named the CAA Player of the Year twice.

North Carolina State senior guard Marissa Kastanek joins Delle Donne on the first team after earning second team notice last year. Senior forward Brandi Brown of Youngstown State, graduate student Jacqui Kalin of Northern Iowa and junior forward Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford round out the Capital One Academic All-America® Women's Basketball Division I first team.

Ohio State junior guard Aaron Craft was the named the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year for NCAA Division I men's basketball.  One of 12 finalists for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, he has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Men's Basketball first team two years in a row. 

A native of Findlay, Ohio, he received the NCAA Elite 89 Award for the highest GPA (3.92) at the 2012 NCAA Final Four.

The five members of the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Women's Basketball Division I first team have an average grade point average of 3.76.

The Capital One Academic All-America ® Women's Basketball Division I second team is comprised of senior Caroline Durbin (New Mexico), senior Ashley Eide (South Dakota State), junior Sarah Hansen (FGCU), junior Amanda Hyde (IPFW), junior Rachel Tecca (Akron) and junior Alli Williams (Saint Francis (Pa.).

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 16,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.