Delaware's Delle Donne Earns Third CAA Player of the Year Honor in 2013
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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (March 13, 2013) - Delaware senior guard/forward Elena Delle Donne was honored as the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches. The announcement was made Wednesday evening at the CAA's pre-tournament banquet in National Harbor, Md.
Also receiving top honors were Northeastern's Daynia La-Force as CAA Coach of the Year, Hofstra's Candace Bond as Defensive Player of the Year and James Madison's Precious Hall as CAA Rookie of the Year. Drexel's Hollie Mershon was chosen as the recipient of the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.
Delle Donne earns the third CAA Player of the Year honor of her career, joining Old Dominion's Lucienne Berthieu and Celeste Hill as the only other players to receive the conference's top award three times in their careers. The senior guard/forward ranks second in the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game and third in free throw percentage at 92.3 percent per game. Delle Donne also leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (48.4%), ranks second in blocks (2.4 bpg) and seventh in rebounding (8.4 rpg). The senior holds four CAA all-time records, including points (2,870), field goals made (970), free throws made (730), and blocked shots (262).
La-Force guided Northeastern to a 17-12 overall record and a 10-8 conference mark in her fifth season at the helm of the Huskies. She helped NU achieve their best season since the 1999-2000 campaign and the 17 wins are the most wins in her tenure at Northeastern. La-Force also guided the Huskies to a school-record 11 wins at home this season, while their 10 CAA victories is the best since Northeastern joined the conference in 2005-06.
Bond, a senior forward, ranked among the top four in the league in steals for the third year in a row. This season she led the Pride and ranked second in the CAA with 2.6 steals per game and helped Hofstra rank third in steals per game. Bond finished the regular season with a team-high 27 blocked shots. She is the first Hofstra player to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Hall led all of the conference's freshmen in scoring this season with 9.6 points per game. She started the final 21 games of the regular season for James Madison and ranked fourth in the league in free-throw percentage (.863). The freshman guard contributed 51 assists and 38 steals during her rookie campaign. Hall is the Dukes' the first Rookie of the Year recipient since 2003-04 and their sixth overall.
Mershon is the recipient of the Dean Ehlers Leadership award, which is presented annually to the women's basketball student-athlete who "embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship in conjunction with her academic athletic achievement." Mershon, a senior guard, started all 29 games this season and ranks second in the CAA with 19.4 points per game. She also leads her team in rebounds (6.2 rpg), assists (4.3 apg) and steals (39).
Joining Delle Donne and Mershon on the All-CAA first team were junior guard Kirby Burkholder and senior guard Tarik Hislop of James Madison, and Hofstra senior forward Shante Evans.
Burkholder ranked eighth in the league in scoring (14.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (8.9 rpg). Hislop led the Dukes with 16.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. Evans is the CAA's all-time leading rebounder with 1,331 career boards and averaged a double-double to lead the Pride with 16.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest.
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2013 CAA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
2013 CAA COACH OF THE YEAR: Daynia La-Force, Northeastern
2013 CAA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Precious Hall, James Madison
2013 CAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Candace Bond, Hofstra
2013 DEAN EHLERS LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Hollie Mershon, Drexel
|
ALL-CAA FIRST TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Kirby
Burkholder, James Madison
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Bridgewater,
Va./Turner Ashby
|
|
Elena
Delle Donne, Delaware
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
6-5
|
Wilmington,
Del./Ursuline Academy
|
|
Shante
Evans, Hofstra
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-0
|
West
Chester, Pa./Henderson
|
|
Tarik
Hislop, James Madison
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-7
|
Silver
Spring, Md./Paint Branch
|
|
Hollie
Mershon, Drexel
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-10
|
Malvern,
Pa./Archbishop Carroll
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL-CAA SECOND TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Lauren
Carra, Delaware
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-9
|
Dunmore,
Pa./Dunmore
|
|
Emily
Correal, William & Mary
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-3
|
Venetia,
Pa/Peters Township
|
|
Shae
Kelley, Old Dominion
|
So.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Denver,
Colo./Denver East/Northwest Florida State College
|
|
Deanna
Kerkhof, Northeastern
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Wallaceburg,
Ontario/Ursuline College
|
|
Tanisha
McTiller, Towson
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5-7
|
Chicago,
Ill./Lincoln Park
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL-CAA THIRD TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Janine
Aldridge, William & Mary
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Massapequa,
N.Y./Massapequa
|
|
Kashaia
Cannon, Northeastern
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-8
|
Providence,
R.I./Bay View
|
|
Jackie
Cook, Old Dominion
|
Sr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Hinckley,
Ohio/Regina
|
|
Karneshia
Garrett, UNCW
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-2
|
Hoover,
Ala./Hoover/Pensacola Junior College
|
|
Jewel
Tunstull, Northeastern
|
Jr.
|
C
|
6-3
|
Brooklyn,
N.Y./Midwood
|
|
Taylor
Wootton, Drexel
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Rutherford,
N.J./ Rutherford
|
|
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Meghan
Creighton, Drexel
|
Fr.
|
G
|
5-7
|
West
Chester, Pa./Archbishop Carroll
|
|
Galaisha
Goodhope, Old Dominion
|
Fr.
|
G
|
5-5
|
Norfolk,
Va./Princess Anne
|
|
Jazmon
Gwathmey, James Madison
|
Fr.
|
G
|
6-2
|
Bealeton,
Va./Liberty
|
|
Precious
Hall, James Madison
|
Fr.
|
G
|
5-8
|
Tallahassee,
Fla./Maclay School
|
|
Dominique
Johnson, Towson
|
Fr.
|
G
|
5-6
|
Laurel,
Md./Riverdale Baptist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Janine
Aldridge, William & Mary
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Massapequa,
N.Y./Massapequa
|
|
Candace
Bond, Hofstra
|
Sr.
|
F
|
5-10
|
Fort
Washington, Md./Riverdale Baptist
|
|
Elena
Delle Donne, Delaware
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
6-5
|
Wilmington,
Del./Ursuline Academy
|
|
Shae
Kelley, Old Dominion
|
So.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Denver,
Colo./Denver East/Northwest Florida State College
|
|
Cody
Paulk, Georgia State
|
Sr.
|
F/C
|
6-3
|
Gadsden,
Ala./Gadsden City
|
|
ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Mairi
Buchan, Old Dominion
|
Sr.
|
C
|
6-2
|
Stirlingshire,
Scotland/Denny
|
|
Elena
Delle Donne, Delaware
|
Sr.
|
F/G
|
6-5
|
Wilmington,
Del./Ursuline Academy
|
|
Deanna
Kerkhof, Northeastern
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Wallaceburg,
Ontario/Ursuline College
|
|
Jaclyn
McKenna, William & Mary
|
Sr.
|
C
|
6-3
|
Huntington,
N.Y./Elwood-John Glenn
|
|
Joyous
Tharrington, George Mason
|
Sr.
|
F
|
5-11
|
Lynchburg,
Va./Richmond/Brookville
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Kirby
Burkholder, James Madison
|
Jr.
|
G
|
6-0
|
Bridgewater,
Va./Turner Ashby
|
|
Amber
Easter, George Mason
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
6-0
|
Hampton,
Va./Bethel
|
|
Kyla
Kerstetter, William & Mary
|
So.
|
G
|
5-11
|
Brentwood,
Tenn./Brentwood
|
|
Cody
Paulk, Georgia State
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-3
|
Gadsden,
Ala./Gadsden City
|
|
Tory
Thierolf, Drexel
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-0
|
Doylestown,
Pa./Germantown Academy
|
|
ALL-ACADEMIC HONORABLE MENTION
|
Cl.
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Hometown/Previous School
|
|
Ashley Betz-White,
Old Dominion
|
So.
|
G
|
5-4
|
Mechanicsburg,
Pa./Trinity
|
|
Chelsea
Craig, Delaware
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-2
|
Rockville,
Md./Wootton
|
|
Fiona
Flanagan, Drexel
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5-10
|
Penn
Valley, Pa./Notre Dame de Namur
|
|
Renee
Johnson-Allen, Drexel
|
Sr.
|
G
|
5-6
|
London,
England/Barking Abbey
|
|
McKenzie
Kudron, Hofstra
|
Jr.
|
F/C
|
6-3
|
New
Boston, Mich./Huron/Vermont
|
|
Stephanie
Leon, Delaware
|
So.
|
C
|
6-3
|
Northport,
N.Y./Northport
|
|
Chelsea
McGowen, UNCW
|
Sr.
|
F/C
|
6-2
|
Cedar
Point, N.C./Croatan/Brunswick CC
|
|
Rachel
McNair, George Mason
|
So.
|
F
|
6-0
|
Valley
Cottage, N.Y./Nyack
|
|
Janaa
Pickard, George Mason
|
Jr.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Philadelphia,
Pa./Central
|
|
Abby
Redick, Drexel
|
Jr.
|
G/F
|
6-1
|
Roanoke,
Va./Virginia Tech
|
|
Kanita
Shepherd, James Madison
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-3
|
Garner,
N.C./Garner Magnet
|
|
Diana
Venezia, UNCW
|
Jr.
|
G
|
5-10
|
Westfield,
N.J./Westfield
|
|
Taylor
Wootton, Drexel
|
Sr.
|
F
|
6-1
|
Rutherford,
N.J./Rutherford
|