DelleDonne, who is rated as the top girls basketball player in the nation in the Class of 2008, has made a verbal commitment to accept a scholarship from Connecticut.

Connecticut has won five NCAA Division I national titles, most recently in 2004, and is one of the top college women's basketball programs in the country.

"It's amazing saying that I am going to UConn. It just gives me the chills," the 6-4 star said today.

DelleDonne was recruited by just about every major college program, as early as her seventh-grade year, and up until this weekend had also considered Tennessee, the 2007 NCAA champ, Villanova and Middle Tennessee State.

The sudden announcement from DelleDonne comes almost two months after she publicly declared she was taking a break from basketball this summer, going so far as to ask college coaches not to contact her during what is normally a key contact period with recruits, the summer before senior year.

Now that she has made up her mind, DelleDonne said her "sickening feeling" about basketball has gone away.

"It wasn't basketball I needed a break from, it was the decision," she said. "It weighed on me for so long."

Last night, DelleDonne contacted the final four schools recruiting her about the decision, saying it was difficult to turn the others down.

Villanova is "close to home and it's a great academic school," DelleDonne said, and head coach Harry Perretta has "become a friend." Middle Tennessee State is one of the nation's leading up-and-coming programs, plus her older brother, Gene, goes there and is on the MTSU football team.

As for Tennessee, UConn's chief rival in women's basketball, DelleDonne said she had formed a bond with legendary Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and assistant coach Dean Lockwood.

"I think what made my decision so hard was turning those two down," DelleDonne said. "It was really hard to turn them down. They are great people but it just wasn't the program for me."

Landing DelleDonne means that UConn, for three years in a row, has brought in the nation's top recruit, following Tina Charles (2006) and Maya Moore (2007). Connecticut is coached by Geno Auriemma, who in 2006 was inducted into the national Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Geno recruits pieces of a puzzle. That's what I really like," DelleDonne said, "and I feel like we all fit into this puzzle so well, and we're going to be a really good team. It will be an honor to play with those players. They're incredible."

DelleDonne can sign a letter-of-intent accepting the scholarship as early as Nov. 14, the first date of the early signing period for basketball. Per NCAA regulations, Auriemma cannot comment on DelleDonne's decision until she signs.