Fencor 1989s

Women's Sports 14-year-old has towering gift At 6-foot-3 1/2, Elena Delle Donne has attracted national attention for her basketball skills before even beginning high school. By Ira Josephs Inquirer Staff Writer Elena Delle Donne is used to being pulled at like taffy and poked at like a piece of fruit. It's been that way on the court for as long as the 14-year-old basketball phenom can remember. Off the court, too, the 6-foot-31/2 guard/forward is growing used to an increased level of scrutiny. From the nation's colleges. From the media. From camp directors. From the opposition. "I've loved basketball my whole life," said the affable and easygoing Delle Donne, a resident of Centerville, Del., who will be a freshman this fall at Wilmington's Ursuline Academy. "I was always taller and realized I had an advantage there. When I played at higher levels, I realized I was pretty good for my age." For the fifth straight year, Delle Donne is playing Amateur Athletic Union ball with Fencor, the AAU girls' basketball club based in Fort Washington, Montgomery County. She led Fencor to the national AAU title (12-and-under) in 2002 and a runner-up finish (13-and-under) last year. A complete player, she is a great shooter, passer, rebounder and shot-blocker. "She's the one everybody looks to; she's the one everybody wants to play," said Stuart London, a Northeast Philadelphia resident and assistant coach of the Fencor teams since Delle Donne was 10. Added Fencor head coach Veronica Algeo: "She can play any position on the court and be the best player. She has so much poise for someone so young. She is extremely unselfish and a team leader like Jameer Nelson." As an eighth grader last season, Delle Donne averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds in leading the Ursuline varsity to the state title. While she can't dunk yet, she can grab the rim. Her outside game, however, is one of her greatest strengths. "She's probably the best shooter I've seen in person," said John Noonan, a CYO coach who has also been Delle Donne's personal coach since she was in second grade. "She's blessed with size and blessed with skill. You combine that with a work ethic that's second to none, and you see good things will come." Delle Donne hopes to guide Fencor to another national AAU crown in Monroe and West Monroe, La., July 16-22. But first comes the Nike All-American Camp July 12-15 in St. Louis, which features the nation's top 80 scholastic players. In the prestigious camp's nine-year history, Delle Donne is only the second player to receive an invitation before starting ninth grade. Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, of Pomona, Calif., an incoming freshman at Tennessee, was the first in 2000. "She's well known throughout the country as one of the top players," said Mary Thompson, Nike's high school girls' basketball manager. "She can do everything, she pulls her team together. I'm very excited to have her at the camp. With her maturity level, she'll have no problems handling it." Delle Donne has already been exposed to the college selection process. Her brother Gene, an incoming senior quarterback at Salesianum (Del.), made an oral commitment to attend Duke next year after an unofficial visit in May. Along for the visit were Elena and her parents, Ernest and Joan. Elena and her parents met for three hours with Duke head women's basketball coach Gail Goestenkors. A Duke jersey with Delle Donne's name and No. 11 were hanging in the locker of Alana Beard, then Duke's cocaptain. According to the NCAA, college coaches can't personally contact Delle Donne away from campus until July 1, 2007 - following completion of her junior year. The unofficial visit was within NCAA guidelines because it took place at Duke. Delle Donne has also received offers from North Carolina and Maryland. "[Former Ursuline coach] Steve Johnson prepared her for it, and her older brother paved the way," said Ernest Delle Donne, who played basketball for Columbia University and Tower Hill Academy (Del.). "She's put it in the proper perspective." Much of Delle Donne's perspective and inspiration comes from older sister Elizabeth Courtney, 20, who was born deaf and blind and also has cerebral palsy. Elizabeth, who has very limited sight, is learning sign language. "Just watching her every day fighting to walk across the room... I'm so lucky even to be able to walk," Elena said. "She's had over 30 surgeries. If I get hurt, I feel I need to be tough like her." Delle Donne, who stands over 6-foot-4 in sneakers and weighs 174 pounds, is used to facing double and even triple teams. In preparation for the national tournament next month, Fencor is playing against 16-and-under squads. On June 12, Fencor fell to the Rebels, a Philadelphia area AAU under-16 all-star team, 60-51, at Archbishop Carroll. Delle Donne scored 16 of her 19 points in the second half. "She might be the best player I've seen at that age," Rebels head coach Bill McDonough said. Added Rebels assistant Trisha Green: "It's more than basketball ability. It's court awareness and knowledge of the game. She's a coach's dream." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact suburban staff writer Ira Josephs at 610-313-8002 or ijosephs@phillynews.com.