NEWARK, DE – University of Delaware senior guard Kyle DeHaven (at right) was named Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year at the CAA Women’s Basketball Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening at Clayton Hall, where she was also named to the CAA All-Defensive Team and took home third-team All-CAA honors. Meanwhile, sophomore center Farrah Ferguson and junior guard Jamie Mundy were both selected to the CAA All-Academic second team.

DeHaven, a co-captain from Herndon, VA, made the All-Defensive Team for the fourth time and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. The energetic point guard also won the award in 2004-05 while at William & Mary. She leads the nation in steals at 4.6 spg, set a single-season school record with 128 thefts, and tied her own school record with nine steals on Jan. 20 against Northeastern. DeHaven ranks second on the CAA all-time list with 426 career steals.

This season, DeHaven leads the Blue Hens in scoring (10.5 ppg), assists (3.6 apg), steals (4.6 spg), three-pointers made (25), and minutes (35.9 mpg). She ranks among the CAA’s top 20 in six statistical categories.

James Madison guard Tamera Young, the league leader in scoring and rebounding, was honored as the CAA Player of the Year. Young was joined on the All-CAA First Team by T.J. Jordan of Old Dominion, Kyra Kaylor of William & Mary, Gabriela Marginean of Drexel, and Krystal Vaughn of VCU.

The All-CAA Second Team included UNC Wilmington’s Brittany Blackwell, Old Dominion’s Tiffany Green, VCU’s Quanitra Hollingsworth, Towson’ Holly Mahan, and Northeastern’s Shaleyse Smallwood. Blackwell was also honored as CAA Rookie of the Year after leading all CAA newcomers with 14.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg. The All-Rookie squad was filled out by Dawn Evans of James Madison, Jasmine Parker of Old Dominion, Britne Rodgers of Hofstra, and Jasmina Rosseel of Drexel.

DeHaven was joined on the All-CAA Third Team by Shane Baker-Brice of Towson, Jessica Canady of Old Dominion, Brittany Hollins of Georgia State, Narissa Suber of Drexel, and Sahsha Taylor of UNC Wilmington.

Ferguson and Mundy, both of whom were nominated for ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America honors earlier in the season, were among 15 players selected to the CAA All-Academic first and second teams.

Old Dominion’s Wendy Larry was named CAA Coach of the Year after she guided the Monarchs to a 26-4 record and a 17-1 conference mark. Kyra Kaylor of William & Mary garnered her second award of the evening, taking home the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.

Delaware (7-23, 6-12 CAA) is seeded ninth in this weekend’s CAA Tournament and will face eighth-seeded UNC Wilmington (16-13, 7-11 CAA) in Thursday’s first round at the Bob Carpenter Center. The winner of that game will square off with No. 1 seed Old Dominion, ranked 14th in the nation, in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. The tournament continues through Sunday, with the champion earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

AGATE:

2008 CAA Player of the Year: Tamera Young, James Madison
2008 CAA Coach of the Year: Wendy Larry, Old Dominion
2008 CAA Rookie of the Year: Brittany Blackwell, UNC Wilmington
2008 CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle DeHaven, Delaware
2008 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award: Kyra Kaylor, William & Mary

All-CAA First Team
T.J. Jordan, Sr., Old Dominion
Kyra Kaylor, Sr., William & Mary
Gabriela Marginean, So., Drexel
Krystal Vaughn, Sr., VCU
Tamera Young, Sr., James Madison

All-CAA Second Team
Brittany Blackwell, Fr., UNC Wilmington
Tiffany Green, Jr., Old Dominion
Quanitra Hollingsworth, Jr., VCU
Holly Mahan, Sr., Towson
Shaleyse Smallwood, Sr., Northeastern

All-CAA Third Team
Shanae Baker-Brice, So., Towson
Jessica Canady, So., Old Dominion
Kyle DeHaven, Sr., Delaware
Brittany Hollins, Jr., Georgia State
Narissa Suber, Sr., Drexel
Sahsha Taylor, Jr., UNC Wilmington

CAA All-Rookie Team
Brittany Blackwell, Fr., UNC Wilmington
Dawn Evans, Fr., James Madison
Jasmine Parker, Fr., Old Dominion
Britne Rodgers, Fr., Hofstra
Jasmina Rosseel, Fr., Drexel

CAA All-Defensive Team
Tiffany Benson, So., William & Mary
Kyle DeHaven, Sr., Delaware
Tiffany Green, Jr., Old Dominion
Brittany Hollins, Jr., Georgia State
Holly Mahan, Sr., Towson

CAA All-Academic First Team
Radoslava Bachvarova, Jr., VCU
Christina Biedny, Jr., Hofstra
Jennifer Nuzzo, Jr., Old Dominion
Meghan Pym, Sr., Old Dominion
Niki Williams, Jr., Hofstra

CAA All-Academic Second Team
Jennifer Brown, Sr., James Madison
Farrah Ferguson, So., Delaware
Stephanie Fernald, Sr., UNC Wilmington
Rashauna Hobbs, So., George Mason
Brittany Hollins, Jr., Georgia State
Kyra Kaylor, Sr., William & Mary
Jamie Mundy, Jr., Delaware
Linn Quamme, Sr., Hofstra
Casey Quigley, Sr., George Mason
Jennifer Stjarnstrom, So., Drexel