Delaware's Delle Donne Named to 2012-13 Preseason Wade Watch List

ATLANTA, Ga. (Sept. 18, 2012) - Delaware's Elena Delle Donne was named to the 2012-13 Preseason "Wade Watch" list of candidates for the prestigious award, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today. 

Connecticut leads all schools with three players on the 25-member preseason list.  Five schools - defending national champion Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Nebraska and Penn State - are represented by two players each.

Now in its 36th year, the State Farm Wade Trophy is named in honor of the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade.  Regarded as "The Heisman of Women's Basketball," the award is presented annually to the NCAA® Division I Player of the Year by the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) and the WBCA.

The preseason list is composed of top NCAA Division I women's basketball players who best embody Wade's spirit from 18 institutions and eight conferences. A committee of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States compiled the list using the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.

Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins, Delaware's Elena Della Donne and Georgetown's Sugar Rodgers join Griner on the preseason list for the third straight year.  Alex Bentley of Penn State, Carolyn Davis of Kansas, Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley of Connecticut, Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford and Odyssey Sims of Baylor are making their second appearance on the list.

Delle Donne, a two-time CAA Player of the Year, helped Delaware (31-2) to a historical season in 2011-12 that included its first-ever national Top 25 ranking, a perfect 18-0 CAA regular season, and the Blue Hens' first CAA Tournament crown. She finished the season averaging 28.1 points per game to lead the nation. Delle Donne also added 10.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per outing to go along with a league-best and 88.9 free throw percentage. She also was second in the league in field goal percentage (.520) and three-point shooting (.413). 

The BIG EAST Conference placed seven players on the preseason list, followed by the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences with five each, the Atlantic Coast Conference with three, the Southeastern Conference with two, and the Colonial Athletic Association and Ohio Valley and Pac-12 conferences with one each.

Here is the complete list of preseason candidates for the 2013 State Farm Wade Trophy in alphabetical order:

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About the NAGWS:
The National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) was established to develop and deliver equitable and quality sport opportunities for ALL girls and women through relevant research, advocacy, leadership development, educational strategies, and programming in a manner that promotes social justice and change.

About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.