Delaware is 22-1 overall and leads the CAA at 13-0 - good for a three-game lead over James Madison. Delaware visits Drexel on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the 2,000-seat Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The game could be a sellout, as it was two seasons ago when Delle Donne, a native of Wilmington, was a freshman.
The NCAA made its tournament decision after Delle Donne announced she would return for her senior year and not opt out for the WNBA.
The NCAA also named Trenton's Sun National Bank Arena as one of four regional sites for the 2013 women's Sweet 16.
The Blue Hens climbed to No. 10 in the AP poll on Monday, up from 12th.
The return next season of Delle Donne, the 2008 national high school player of the year at Wilmington's Ursuline Academy, might have played some role in the CAA's announcement Monday of a five-year TV deal with the new NBC Sports Group for football and basketball.
The Blue Hens visit third-place Hofstra on Thursday, while the Dragons, in a tie for the fourth and final CAA tournament bye spot, will visit Old Dominion.
A Drexel win would be the 145th for Dragons coach Denise Dillon, making the former Villanova star Drexel's winningest coach since the program moved to Division I in the early 1980s.
Temple Alum Makes Good. Former Temple star Candice Dupree, a 2006 graduate and WNBA all-star with the Phoenix Mercury, is one of 21 finalists named Monday by USA Basketball for this summer's squad for the Olympic games in London.
Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, who grew up in Norristown, is the coach. Seven former Huskies who play in the WNBA and who helped the Hall of Famer guide UConn to seven NCAA titles are in the group: Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore, and Asjha Jones. Former Rutgers all-American Cappie Pondexter is also in the group.
"That's great for Candice because she helped make Temple when Dawn [Staley] coached here before me," said Owls coach Tonya Cardoza, who was previously a longtime assistant to Auriemma.
"And what a great honor for Geno to have all those players in the group. That's why they went to UConn - to win NCAA titles, play in the Olympics and win gold medals and become WNBA all-stars."
Brittney Griner of top-ranked and unbeaten Baylor, who is a co-favorite with Delle Donne for national player of the year, is the lone collegian in the group after training with the hopefuls last year.
"No question Griner is a great player," Cardoza said. "But Elena, she's obviously proven herself and she can do just about everything on her own."
