(Updating with formal text from Delaware announcing event)
By Mel Greenberg
PHILADELPHIA - Apparently not content with letting her esteemed U.S.Senator Joe Biden (D., Del) from having his moment of ultimate glory Saturday as Barack Obama's newly announced vice presidential candidate designate, local Wimington-area basketball sensation Elena Delle Donne quickly jumped back in the news.
The University of Delaware sent a release early Saturday night announcing a press conference Monday afternoon in which Delle Donne and members of the Blue Hens volleyball team will appear and she's discuss her recent transfer after a brief stay as an incoming freshman at Connecticut.
Delaware women's basketball coach Tina Martin will not appear, but will issue a statement, the university said.
It was a week ago Saturday that NCAA-women's basketball favorite Connecticut announced the Ursuline Academy star had changed her mind from accepting a scholarship from the Huskies. The news came prior to the start of classes and two months after Delle Donne had abruptly left Connecticut's summer school following a brief two-day stay in early June.
On Monday Delle Donne issued a statement announcing her decision to enroll at Delaware and thanking Connecticut and coach Geno Auriemma for their considerations of her decision.
Delle Donne did not speak of any athletic intentions at the time, though rumors had existed for several weeks she may attempt to join the volleyball team, which won the Colonial Athletic Association title last season.
Almost a week earlier Delaware volleyball coach Bonnie Kenny denied to several newspapers a sentence inserted in Delle Donne's biography on the internet search site Wikipedia saying Delle Donne was going to attend college near home and play volleyball.
The sentence was subsequently removed about a day before the time Delle Donne was believed to phone Auriemma with her decision not to enroll at Connecticut.
Auriemma, who had initially refused to grant Delle Donne a release from her scholarship following the news of her decisions, relented at midweek and added to the stipulations that the Huskies would be on board with her playing any sport, including basketblall, immediately at Delaware and left it up to the Blue Hens to work it out with the NCAA in terms of her imminent eligibility.
Here is the formal note sent to the media from Delaware early Saturday night.
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware Athletics Department has
called a press conference set for this Monday, August 25, to announce
that Elena Delle Donne has enrolled at the school and is currently
competing for the Blue Hen volleyball team.
The press conference will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Bob Carpenter Center
Auditorium. DelleDonne, UD women's volleyball head coach Bonnie Kenny,
and UD Director of Athletics Edgar Johnson will be available for
comments until approximately 2 p.m.
Also available for comment will be members of the UD volleyball team and
UD Director of NCAA Compliance Kerri Cebula.
Delaware women's basketball head coach Tina Martin will not be available
for comment but will issue a statement through a press release to be
distributed at the press conference.
Delle Donne, an All-American basketball player and the state's all-time
leading career scoring leader at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del.,
originally signed to attend the University of Connecticut and play for
the Huskies this winter. However, she left campus after attending school
briefly in June.
The University of Connecticut has granted DelleDonne a release from her
scholarship, allowing her to compete in any sport at the University of
Delaware.
End of Delaware release and this blog for now, other than the Guru's guesses the travel money the local Delaware papers would have had to spend following Delle Donne's rookie year 200 miles away can now be re-invested to following the state's U.S. senator on the presidential and vice-presidential campaign trail.
-- Mel
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