Delle Donne Takes Hiatus

[glenn]

The nation's No. 1 prep girl's basketball player takes a break from the mounting pressures:

http://hoopgurlz.com/story/delle-donne-takes-hiatus-hoops


We know we get a lot of visitors from various teams sites and would appreciate it if you could help us out and post some of your discussion on our message board. Thanks!

[raindevil]

I certainly can't blame her for needing some time. I can't imagine having that much pressure on me at that age, and she's been dealing with it for what, 3-4 years already?

I hope this time gives her the space she needs just to be a teenager during the summer, and that she comes back refreshed.

[scoutnwhoops]

This is both sad and great news. Sad that she had to go through this all but great that she is taking care of herself and being public about her trials and issues for other players to see that everyone has a limit. If any of her naysayers come back and say she can't handle the pressure or that she cracked, I bet you can't walk a day in her shoes as an adult, let alone a teenager.

I think back on Jacki Gemelos and she showed that physically you can wear out. Now witih Elena speaking out it shows you that it can happen in more than one way. By all means work your butt off, train for excellence but know your body, know your mind and take care of yourselves.

Best of luck to Elena and all the young ladies out there that are working for their goals through basketball.

[ladiesfirst]

To Glenn and Chris,

It says a lot about the two of you, that this wonderful family thinks enough of you to open up their lives and hearts like this. This one froze me in my seat. So much to think about after this read.

I haven't read all your material, but this is (I think) your best work yet, including the award winners. Thanks so much. What a Lady!

[hoopfan24]

Great story Glenn.....

My daughter too has experienced burnout - at least to some degree. She is not an "elite" like Delle Donne so their is not as much pressure, but it still exists.

And as a parent it is so difficult - the balance of it all, can be incredible to manage.

As a parent you know we sacrifice our time and money and sometimes other family committments to basically manage our college bound player. The fear is if she slows down, she will lose that edge. And when you have a kid that isn't an elite like Delle Donne -every ounce of effort is put into making sure they are ready to be "seen".

Delle Donne is fortunate in that after 2 months out of site, EVERYONE will still want her.

For the average kid or above average D-1 kid without that 5-star ranking, 2 months could spell certain death to a 120,000 dollar scholarship....and yet the health and well-being of my child is the top priority.... balance is the key.

[nohoops64]

Good for her. She really has nothing to prove, and the recruiting process can become an obsession for those who want her. The recruiters in my day would call the kids every day, watch every high school and summer game, send the kids birthday and christmas cards, and generally treat the recruits like adults at 15-16 years old.
Once I saw a big name coach at a game in which he was forbidden to talk to the player becase of NCAA rules. I asked him "If you can't talk to him why bother to come"? He told me "Oh he knows I'm here'. I said so what. He stated "I just want the kid to know I care".
Oh yea he really cared. When he got his recruit, he also brought in a couple of players who were better then him and the kid never played. Eventually he switched to football and became a star in that sport. (At 6' 8, it was quite an achievement)
Elena just wants to be a kid again, and why not. She is only16 or 17 years old. She only has a couple of years left and she will never be able to be a kid again. Let her have some fun.

[glenn]

I coached my own daughter for several years and the pressure of being under 5 feet, of being the coach's daughter and of attending a very high-pressure private high school led to her walking away from the sport early. She is a great kid who is going to do great things and I love her just the same - honestly. We still share basketball as a passion - she joins me on one July trip every summer - but I can see that she is much happier, which of course makes me happy.

I also think Elena is a very sharp, compassionate kid who will do well in whatever she chooses. I'll bet a lot of players wish they could do the same; it took a special kind of kid to do this, especially being so visible.

[acusefan4ever]

Its great that she's taking time but its sad that its come to this. The poor kid is a big fish in a small pond and its pushed her to the point where she wants a break from the sport completely.

I really hope this doesn't turn into another ut/uconn argument over why is she taking the break and who is at fault. I see it took about ten minutes for someone on the boneyard to post the old "what's to prevent a malicious fan from texting her and representing themselves as a UConn representative?" because the first thing that goes into their mind isn't "I feel for this kid" its still all about recruiting the kid. It also doesn't sound like its all about the coaches though I am sure if she has myspace/facebook that she gets random posts/questions from people 10 times a day and it probably gets old fast. I mean think about it the coaches call her/text her as much as possible, then when she walks out of her house she probably gets asked everywhere she goes and its not like a 6'4" girl can hide at the ice cream place, and then she shuts the door to her room for some peace and quiet and her wall has five posts from people she doesn't know asking when she is going to decide. I'd be frustrated too.

With all that said I think Villanova and MT's chances have probably increased dramatically. UT/UConn have no doubt sold her on being a "star"(uconn fans like to talk about how famous a player will be if they go there) and she just wants to fit in be normal and play basketball.

[tinkmom]

My daughter has/had been playing since 4th grade. A 6'1" point guard she received a D1 scholarship. Red-shirted this year for varies reasons and everyone was looking forward to her playing next year. In April she had a total meltdown and walked away from her scholarship. We went through lots of emotional stuff trying to figure out what happened. On top of the usual ankle sprains she's had knee and hip problems - just last week we found out that she has a stress fracture in her back. But it's not just the injuries that were the reasons for walking away. It was never having a life outside of basketball. She felt like it controlled everything she did - and it did. She never dated, went to parties or hung out with friends. She was on a court all the time.

She knows that paying for college will be tough. She's also having to deal with "who is she if not an athlete". The school she chose was for the right reasons - she staying and paying for it with student loans. Just got her first job. While we'll miss seeing her play on court it's exciting to see a new chapter in her life.

[NYTraveller]

This is an important story, handled perfectly, and it's a good example of the value of this site to all who love the game. I'm sorry that the whole process came to this for Elena, but I greatly admire the maturity, intelligence and courage that she displays in taking this step.

[arbitraryj]

Mom and Dad should be given a great big cookie for being such a great model of love and support.:) :)

Thank you for setting such a great example for the entire bball community. Best wishes to EDD. What a great kid!

At the end of the day, the hype and the attention -even the rankings mean nothing if the child isn't loving the game.

Wow, I hope the coaches, recruiters and hypemiesters take note.

Let the child have a childhood.

Hey Glenn & Chris, Thanks for a great article.

[aurabass]

maybe some of you who know what happens could shed some light.'

QUOTE from the article
The weapon of choice for many college staffs are virtually unmonitorable text messages. Delle Donne says she often sits her mobile phone for a few minutes, only to return to find a dozen new text messages.

1) This text messaging thing - as an old guy I don't get it. Who is sending any recruit so many text messages that they pile up a dozen an hour? If there were 6 schools on her short list as of a few weeks ago are each of the six schools sending 2 text messages an hour?
What would the content of these text messages be?
HI WE LOVE YOU PLEASE COME TO ______!!!!! I mean how many times and ways can you say that? Or WHAT ARE YOU THINKING NOW -- HOW ABOUT NOW --- or an hour later HOW ABOUT NOW?

Seems like a recruit could say "HEY the next school I get a text message from is off my list forever."
Who sends these text messages? The head coach? all the coaches? or fans of the schools? How do they get the text message address and the cell phone number?

I guess I'm dense or something but it seems like her friends and the folks she sees daily would lay off mentioning recruiting to her and as far as being aware that some message board posters cited the UT UCONN break up being tied to her recruiting? There are a lot of folks that say a lot of things when they don't know anything about what's really happening.
So reading message boards or newspaper or web articles can be avoided right? And it certainly doesn't have to be taken seriously does it? It's pretty much going to be a given when UConn and UT go after the same recruit a lot of fans on messageboards are going to say a lot of stuff without any real idea what's going on.

Seems like the last thing any recruiter or coach would want is to get caught being overly aggressive with too much contact. Since I've never been through it I would like to get some idea about where the pressure really comes from. I get the impression that it's like there is some constant presence of an official text messenger who does nothing all day but text the top recruits but I have no clue what the text could possibly say. Has anybody actually experienced this text messaging overload who can give us an idea what these messages are?

[nohoops64]

Glenn's article covers the key aspects in the EDD situation:her brother and her sister,who is severely impared physicaly and mentally. She cannot hear or speak. A situation such as this places Elena in a different catagory from the meriad of other kids trying to get as scholorship. In many ways her problems over recruiting are not as pressurized as the kid who must get a scholorship to get into a college. However , if the family have taken on a bunker mentality because of the trajedy in their family , spreading around the caregiving for the sister, then Basketball is an intrusion into their attempt to have a normal life and the last thing Elena needs is added responsibility, the expectation for constant success, and particularly, discipline.
Coaches at all levels demand discipline as a sign of respect for themselves. As I have discovered in my research for a golf book I am writing, most people look upon discipline as a blow to their ego, even though what the coach might be asking for makes perfect sense! People just don't like to be told what to do. It is My opinion that EDD is tired of this
whether it is playing games or doing drills. Because she is part of a family that must deal with an "intolerable" situation, (every day, no solution), then trying out for the ODP, which she though would be great fun, has turned into a situation where she is being watched and evaluated every single minute.

She was involved in a story that Hoopgurlz did that was very interesting reading :which was the best #1 player in the last 4 years. They ranked in various orders: TC,MM, EDD and Courtney "Bubba" Paris. The interesting part of the story was that those were the girls that she was competing against every day, 8 hours a day, with "experts" commenting on every part of her game. Of all the girls there ,she had the most pressure to succeed, and she probably felt that this was too much: time to go home and worry about the ODP later. In reality, Elena does not have a basketball game of importance until she steps out onto the floor in her collegate debut.Organized ball may be out, but she still can play pickup games that will help her skills and return her love for the game.

[BrooklynSaints]

maybe some of you who know what happens could shed some light.'

QUOTE from the article
The weapon of choice for many college staffs are virtually unmonitorable text messages. Delle Donne says she often sits her mobile phone for a few minutes, only to return to find a dozen new text messages.

1) This text messaging thing - as an old guy I don't get it. Who is sending any recruit so many text messages that they pile up a dozen an hour? If there were 6 schools on her short list as of a few weeks ago are each of the six schools sending 2 text messages an hour?
What would the content of these text messages be?
HI WE LOVE YOU PLEASE COME TO ______!!!!! I mean how many times and ways can you say that? Or WHAT ARE YOU THINKING NOW -- HOW ABOUT NOW --- or an hour later HOW ABOUT NOW?

Seems like a recruit could say "HEY the next school I get a text message from is off my list forever."
Who sends these text messages? The head coach? all the coaches? or fans of the schools? How do they get the text message address and the cell phone number?

I guess I'm dense or something but it seems like her friends and the folks she sees daily would lay off mentioning recruiting to her and as far as being aware that some message board posters cited the UT UCONN break up being tied to her recruiting? There are a lot of folks that say a lot of things when they don't know anything about what's really happening.
So reading message boards or newspaper or web articles can be avoided right? And it certainly doesn't have to be taken seriously does it? It's pretty much going to be a given when UConn and UT go after the same recruit a lot of fans on messageboards are going to say a lot of stuff without any real idea what's going on.

Seems like the last thing any recruiter or coach would want is to get caught being overly aggressive with too much contact. Since I've never been through it I would like to get some idea about where the pressure really comes from. I get the impression that it's like there is some constant presence of an official text messenger who does nothing all day but text the top recruits but I have no clue what the text could possibly say. Has anybody actually experienced this text messaging overload who can give us an idea what these messages are?

As a general rule coaches go overboard. Narrowing your list down to 4 schools means nothing. All schools will contact a recruit until she verbals. In the case of EDD she will receive 100 letters a day. And thats a slow day. On a monday you will receive twice as many letters because Sunday there is no mail delivery. If there is a three day weekend look out,

The text messages could be avoided by never giving your childs cell phone number. That limits the calls to the home phone number which in my case I just stopped answering.
The texting is not just coming from the 4 remaining schools on her list. The text are coming from everyone else.

[NYTraveller]

Let's face it, as much as we love the game, there is no such thing as a "basketball game of importance" anytime, anywhere compared to the realities of life. Conversely, if a player truly loves the game for itself and the pure sport of it there's no such thing as an unimportant game (at least in the minor context of "game") - testing yourself, giving your best, reaching your limits is the ultimate attraction of competitive athletics to the competitors. It's hard to keep a clear perspective on the relative importance of things if you're constantly watched, evaluated, discussed, probed, sold and oversold on this, that, or the other school, coach, etc.- in that case the challenge becomes constant and out of your own control. Bravo to Elena for pulling back.

As she said, better this than losing all desire and never playing again. I think we need to truly appreciate how much of a problem this can become. I'm from NY and the absolute best HS player I ever saw was Chamique Holdsclaw - out of the game, at least partially due to burnout, at 29. Nicole Kaczmarski was a thrilling, gifted player, the number 1 recruit in the nation in her class. She was on the back pages of a major metropolitan newspaper numerous times, beginning as an 8th grader, her recruitment was the subject of a movie(!) and she lost her love for the game by the time she was 20. Is there such a thing as the attention getting old, especially if it starts when you're 13 or 14?

As for the text messaging problem, yes, there are constant little reminders sent numerous times by multiple coaches from the same program - there is no NCAA limit, after all. Coaches are insecure beings when it comes to recruiting (how would you like your lucrative professional career to depend on the decision-making acumen of teenagers?), and that often leads to overkill. When there were no cellphones, e-mail, or texting, much of the communication between coach and recruit had to go thru an adult (HS or club coach, parent, family advisor, etc.), and at least there was some buffer. Now, direct access is everything (and it's not hard to find a kid's cell or e-mail - why do you think all those college coaches are forking over $50-$300 for a "packet" at every tournament?); many kids find it difficult to turn aside the attention to give themselves some space and it should be no surprise to realize that sooner or later that's going to build up in a negative way.

[ladiesfirst]

1) This text messaging thing - as an old guy I don't get it. Who is sending any recruit so many text messages that they pile up a dozen an hour? If there were 6 schools on her short list as of a few weeks ago are each of the six schools sending 2 text messages an hour?
What would the content of these text messages be?
HI WE LOVE YOU PLEASE COME TO ______!!!!! I mean how many times and ways can you say that? Or WHAT ARE YOU THINKING NOW -- HOW ABOUT NOW --- or an hour later HOW ABOUT NOW? < < < From post by "aurobass"

This is a very serious situation, and as several of us have pointed out is a Great Article by Glenn. And several very good responses.

But the one above, about "Text Messaging" by "aurobass" is Classic! I had a few very interesting experiences with my son who was a great Division2, NAIA, Division3 football recruit . . . .but nothing like this. So, I'm with aurobass on this one. What on earth can you say, and how many times and ways can you say it, that it wouldn't make a player sick?

And, you'd think that a recruit, any recruit, would be put off by it, and IMMEDIATELY mark such teams off their list.

[BrooklynSaints]

Let's face it, as much as we love the game, there is no such thing as a "basketball game of importance" anytime, anywhere compared to the realities of life. Conversely, if a player truly loves the game for itself and the pure sport of it there's no such thing as an unimportant game (at least in the minor context of "game") - testing yourself, giving your best, reaching your limits is the ultimate attraction of competitive athletics to the competitors. It's hard to keep a clear perspective on the relative importance of things if you're constantly watched, evaluated, discussed, probed, sold and oversold on this, that, or the other school, coach, etc.- in that case the challenge becomes constant and out of your own control. Bravo to Elena for pulling back.

As she said, better this than losing all desire and never playing again. I think we need to truly appreciate how much of a problem this can become. I'm from NY and the absolute best HS player I ever saw was Chamique Holdsclaw - out of the game, at least partially due to burnout, at 29. Nicole Kaczmarski was a thrilling, gifted player, the number 1 recruit in the nation in her class. She was on the back pages of a major metropolitan newspaper numerous times, beginning as an 8th grader, her recruitment was the subject of a movie(!) and she lost her love for the game by the time she was 20. Is there such a thing as the attention getting old, especially if it starts when you're 13 or 14?

As for the text messaging problem, yes, there are constant little reminders sent numerous times by multiple coaches from the same program - there is no NCAA limit, after all. Coaches are insecure beings when it comes to recruiting (how would you like your lucrative professional career to depend on the decision-making acumen of teenagers?), and that often leads to overkill. When there were no cellphones, e-mail, or texting, much of the communication between coach and recruit had to go thru an adult (HS or club coach, parent, family advisor, etc.), and at least there was some buffer. Now, direct access is everything (and it's not hard to find a kid's cell or e-mail - why do you think all those college coaches are forking over $50-$300 for a "packet" at every tournament?); many kids find it difficult to turn aside the attention to give themselves some space and it should be no surprise to realize that sooner or later that's going to build up in a negative way.


Its easy to not give your cell phone number out. If you don't submit your cell phone number it won't be in the coaches packet. I never had any problems with coaches calling a cell phone number.

[ericsandiego]

With all that said I think Villanova and MT's chances have probably increased dramatically. UT/UConn have no doubt sold her on being a "star"(uconn fans like to talk about how famous a player will be if they go there) and she just wants to fit in be normal and play basketball.

you may be correct regarding Nova's and MTSU's chances of landing Elena - i don't think anyone will know at this point unless Elena or her family talks, but clearly you know zero about UCONN. Coach Auriemma has NEVER recruited anyone by telling them they'd be a star at UCONN. It's always been about team first. in fact, he often told Diana to shoot more because she was too unselfish and spent too much time passing up good shots to dish and get the rest of the team involved. It's just the kind of player he recruits.

He's passed on some other great players who didn't quite believe in the team concept as much and he never promises playing time. And i'm sure that some players have passed on UCONN for similar reasons.

UCONN fans really like to talk about how famous a player will be if they go there? Wow. I must be reading a different board. i've been a poster there for about 10 years and have never read that. what they do say is that UCONN is the biggest stage. Every single women's hoops game is televised. The fans in Connecticut generally refer to the players as "our girls" and the attention and press coverage the team gets is second to none.

That is not to say that there aren't great hoops fans at other schools or that other teams don't sell out games but there is no other school that has the amount of media attention or has every single game - whether home or away - on television.

[acusefan4ever]

you completely misunderstood my post about her being a star. You've confused her being recruited to be a star with me saying she's not going to play team basketball, the two have nothing to do with eachother. Taurasi was the star of those two teams and it was not even close. She was the most popular and at the same time she was the best player in the country....she was a star, that doesn't mean she was selfish. Being a star doesn't mean your selfish the two things have little to do with eachother.

The other day a poster mentioned the that they thought that CPTV should broadcast uconn games nationwide because uconn has all the "all american girls", A few months back a debate about Heather Buck came up and whether she should go to ND or UConn if she seriously wanted to go to medical school. A number of posters said she shoud go to UConn because after being a "star" at UConn she'd be so famous that she would easily get into medical school over kids who went to a better program at a place like ND.

I do like how you say that a poster has NEVER said that a player will be famous if they go there but they do say that uconn is the biggest stage with the most tv coverage and the most press coverage.....those would be examples of fame lol. Not to mention the fact that the idea that a player will be more well known if she goes to uconn compared to any other school except maybe UT(but its close) is an absolutely true statement.

[CHARLESI]

One of the best sports stories I have ever read. Sounds great that someone is making
basketball work for her and not the otherway around. Whatever decision she makes, I hope it works out for her. I am rooting for Middle Tennessee State however. If a top player
like her goes to a good Mid-Major program, it would make it easier for other girls to go to
solid Mid-Major programs over low spots on teams in the power conferences where they do
not play or get recruited over in subsequent years. One coach I talked to says approximately 40% of the recruits are unhappy with their selections and the Mid-Majors
would be more competitive with the Power Confernce teams if they limited scholarships to
13 for girls, giving them a shot at the two lower players on the Power Confernce teams.
Anyway, I hope her luck.

[ericsandiego]

you completely misunderstood my post about her being a star. You've confused her being recruited

I do like how you say that a poster has NEVER said that a player will be famous if they go there but they do say that uconn is the biggest stage with the most tv coverage and the most press coverage.....those would be examples of fame lol. Not to mention the fact that the idea that a player will be more well known if she goes to uconn compared to any other school except maybe UT(but its close) is an absolutely true statement.

i really like how you try to twist words. you might think about politics. you single out UCONN implying rather directly that UCONN fans in general tell recruits to come to UCONN because they will be famous. if pointing out that every game is televised and that playing at UCONN is playing on the biggest WCBB stage is considered "telling a player she's gonig to be famous" then you are really misrepresenting what UCONN fans in general have to say.

When you paint with a board brush and claim "UCONN fans like to talk about how famous a player will be...", YOU completely misunderstand and misrepresent. If you can't see the distinction between what is said and how you misinterpret it, then i really can't help you there.

and by the way, many UCONN fans also point out that the bright lights and microscope is not for everyone. Some kids don't want to play at a school where there is so much attention and therefore added pressure. Others thrive on that. No school is for everyone.

[aurabass]

With all that said I think Villanova and MT's chances have probably increased dramatically. UT/UConn have no doubt sold her on being a "star"(uconn fans like to talk about how famous a player will be if they go there) and she just wants to fit in be normal and play basketball. NO DOUBT? Well you don't know much about Pat Summitt or the Tennessee fans on the SUmmiTT. We talk about graduation, education, being part of a great team, history and tradition, and a wonderful college experience in a beautiful location. 10 Reason to choose Tennessee (http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=7#S=7&F=1373&T=675823) I can't imagine a Tennessee recruiter telling a recruit to come to Tennessee to be a star.

Normal for an elite athlete is alway going to be different than normal for the rest of us no matter where that elite athlete decides to attend college. Sure the chances of more publicity increase with more visible programs but being a star on a team of stars becomes more difficult. Tennessee and UConn aren't all that interested in star making - that's far more often a function of the media.

[txbasketball24]

All of you should respect what she wants and leave alone, already. If everyone read and comprehended her interview, with Chris and/or Glen, then you should have derived that discussing WHATEVER about her has taken her out of the game.

END THIS DISCUSSION, PLEASE!

[acusefan4ever]

NO DOUBT? Well you don't know much about Pat Summitt or the Tennessee fans on the SUmmiTT. We talk about graduation, education, being part of a great team, history and tradition, and a wonderful college experience in a beautiful location. 10 Reason to choose Tennessee (http://forums.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=7#S=7&F=1373&T=675823) I can't imagine a Tennessee recruiter telling a recruit to come to Tennessee to be a star.

Normal for an elite athlete is alway going to be different than normal for the rest of us no matter where that elite athlete decides to attend college. Sure the chances of more publicity increase with more visible programs but being a star on a team of stars becomes more difficult. Tennessee and UConn aren't all that interested in star making - that's far more often a function of the media.


So #9 doesn't mention fanbase? When I say "star", I am talking about exposure(tv/newspaper/etc), fanbase(butts in the seats) these are what make someone a star. Any recruit is going to get more attention if they go to a UT/UConn then they would say a Syracuse/MT, right? The syracuse paper had 4 articles all season long, if you took a poll after a men's game 98%(probably more) probably couldn't pick a women's player out of a photo lineup.

Your absolutely right about the media making the kid a star but face it most kids want to be stars end of story.

[nohoops64]

The idea that Elena would be better off at scholls that are not BBall powers is tainted. At the two schools mentioned above she would be an icon from the moment she steps on campus. Both MTS and the "Vill" would assume that they would be a power very soon. EDD would be unique on their campuses. At UTenn or UConn she would just be another player. (At UConn she would likely be the third best player on campus, after TC and MM)

As much as she may like the ambiance of the other two schools, the most pressure she will face in her life will be if her team fails to win.The pressure is on everyone to win, and if her main focus is not winning she might as well quit for good. With the powerhouse recruiting classes at UTenn and UConn, she won't have to worry too much about losing.
Thats nice.To win all the time.

[aurabass]

So #9 doesn't mention fanbase? When I say "star", I am talking about exposure(tv/newspaper/etc), fanbase(butts in the seats) these are what make someone a star. Any recruit is going to get more attention if they go to a UT/UConn then they would say a Syracuse/MT, right? The syracuse paper had 4 articles all season long, if you took a poll after a men's game 98%(probably more) probably couldn't pick a women's player out of a photo lineup.

Your absolutely right about the media making the kid a star but face it most kids want to be stars end of story. Fan's in the seats is the aim of every basketball program. That has nothing to do with being a STAR. Being the STAR means ascending above the rest and singled out as an individual.in my vernacular. Being a part of a successful team that fills an arena is a good thing for the players, the fans, and the pocket book.

Elena won't be anonymous anywhere she goes even if it were Syracuse.

[ChipperF1]

"For the average kid or above average D-1 kid without that 5-star ranking, 2 months could spell certain death to a 120,000 dollar scholarship....and yet the health and well-being of my child is the top priority.... balance is the key.

That is why I tell the parents of the kids I coach in youth league ball the following whenever I hear "I want my child to get that basketball scholarship."

If your kid can read, write and 'rithmetic his/her jumpshot won't matter as much.

I like the perspective this young lady and her family is showing, but I think its a perspective all of us fans, coaches, boosters, etc. also need to consider.

All this hub-bub about recruiting at times gets a little out of hand it seems at least it does for the fans. Coaches, I can understand a little bit, but at the same time many of them need to remember that you don't win a championship in somebody's living room. You win it in the film room, weight room and the practice court.

"As much as she may like the ambiance of the other two schools, the most pressure she will face in her life will be if her team fails to win.The pressure is on everyone to win, and if her main focus is not winning she might as well quit for good. With the powerhouse recruiting classes at UTenn and UConn, she won't have to worry too much about losing.
Thats nice.To win all the time.

Based on what I read, I don't think that pressure will faze her too much. Based on her record, I think her focus on the floor as been winning. As far as any school she's choosing, there is no sure thing. Tennessee and Connecticut could hit turmoil and have that subpar year. They could hit that 17-15 record or worse...or that earlier than expected NCAA tournament exit.
There is no guarantees that Elena Delle Donne will be a worldbeater...She could very well be the biggest bust since "Ishtar" when she gets on a college campus (as unlikely as that seems to be based on what has been seen.).
She could find herself as the wrong end of a somebody submarining her on a layup her first minute of her freshman year and end up with spaghetti for an ACL. There's no guarantees at all.

The beauty of it is....It seems that Ms. Delle Donne realizes these things and that makes me want to root for this kid even more.

Elena Delle Donne may play the game, but this decision leaves me with the opinion that the game won't play her.

This is the type of kid who can be a captain of a team.

[ifyousayso]

EDD plays the game the game doesnt play her it seems. I can say that I have seen the pressure on so many top players and it can indeed be insanity what these players at such an early age must go through.

It is great that she can step back.

I have said it in numerous posts. Let you daughters play more than one sport...in their younger years. It helps them strengthen other muscle groups as well. I am a believe in not putting a kid in competition until late in middle school. Focus on development.

Family sometimes do not realize how hard they push their kids or what the players perception of what is expected of them.