Gino Auriemma didn’t know what to make of the situation and concluded that Delle Donne was making the biggest mistake of her life.

In the end, it wasn’t basketball burnout that caused Delle Donne to give up the game. It was “homesickness.”

That’s why she’s returning to basketball next season, but not for UCONN. She’ll play for the Blue Hens instead.

“I am extremely excited to be competing in my home state and for Coach [Tina] Martin,” Delle Donne said in a statement released by the university. “I really enjoyed playing volleyball this past fall but found myself missing basketball. Basketball has been an important part of my life and I realized that it is my first love and my passion.”

Delle Donne said watching the Huskies storm to a 39-0 season and the national championship last season made her realize she really did miss the game. Or maybe she regretted her decision. Either way, what was UCONN’s loss is now Delaware’s gain.

But Auriemma harbors no  ill will (at least not publicly). “I wish her the best, now and in the future,” he said.

Here’s a video clip from ESPN’s Outside the Lines on Delle Donne:

Video:Youtube

Post from: EveryJoe

Elena Delle Donne Returns To Basketball

Now, imagine giving all that up.

That’s what Elena Delle Donne did. She walked away from basketball, only she walked away with her head held high.

I found the story of Delle Donne so intriguing because it exposed the other side of the spotlight. Delle Donne worked hard to become the player she is today, but it came as a price. At the tender age of 7, she was assigned a personal trainer. At age 13, she began to despise the game she once loved.

After being offered a full scholarship at UConn, Delle Donne realized that maybe she wasn’t as passionate about basketball as everyone else thought she was. This past summer, Delle Donne did some soul-searching and, in the end, turned down the scholarship and the chance to play for the Huskies.

Coach Auriemma can’t understand how Delle Donne could just walk away from basketball. I can. Basketball was shoved down her throat at such an early age that she probably never had a chance to just love it for what it was — a game.

Now, Delle Donne is a member of the University of Delaware’s volleyball team. And, because she is playing the sport for the right reason, she finally understands what it means to “love the game.”

For more on this incredible story, visit ESPN’s Outside The Lines.

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Elena Delle Donne Walks Away From Basketball