NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's basketball team saw the effort that it took for junior guard
Ellen Margaret Andrews (Dallas, Texas) to recover from the injury that cost her nearly all of the 2018-19 season. And the Bulldogs also saw the results of that effort, as Andrews became a key factor in the team tying the school record for wins with 19 this past season. Now they look to her to lead them in 2020-21, as she has been elected captain by a team vote.
"It is a great honor to be elected captain of the Yale women's basketball team," Andrews said. "I am very humbled by my teammates' decision, and hope to serve them to the best of my capabilities next season. YWBB is made up of amazing women that are not only phenomenal athletes, but amazing people as well, and I hope to be the captain that they deserve next year."
Andrews will lead the Bulldogs into their 48th varsity season. She brings all kinds of intangibles to her new role. Her successful comeback this season from the injury that cost her the final 24 games of 2018-19 was a tribute to her work ethic and determination. As one of Yale's most athletic players, she made an impact on both ends of the court in 2019-20. She was second on the team in steals (49, fifth in the Ivy League) and third on the team in scoring (12.3 points per game, 13th in the Ivy League). She established personal single-game highs in points (24 at North Carolina Dec. 28, earning Ivy League Player of the Week), rebounds (16 vs. Dartmouth Mar. 6), assists (seven vs. Sacred Heart Dec. 19) and steals (six vs. Fresno State Nov. 29).
She earned the team's Karen Yarasavage Bulldog Award, given "to the team member who distinguishes herself by her grit, tenacity and perseverance."
Allison Guth, Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, praised Andrews' character and leadership.
"Ellen Margaret is a phenomenal person who is an outstanding representative of our family and most deserving of her election," said Guth. "Her teammates look up to her because of the way she leads by example and through thoughtful perspective. Our coaching staff believes in Ellen Margaret's leadership because of her inspiring work ethic and the depth of her character on and off the court. I expect Ellen Margaret to lead from both a place of compassion and strength. I couldn't be happier for her and our team in her election as our captain of our 2020-2021 team."
Andrews started all 27 games this season, continuing a trend that has been in place from her first season. She started 28 of 32 games in 2017-18, helping the Bulldogs set the school record for wins in a season (19) and become the first Ivy League women's basketball team to win a national postseason championship (the WBI). She averaged 7.4 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game, including a season-high nine rebounds while playing in her home state of Texas and making her first career start as Yale upset TCU 82-71 Nov. 21, 2017.
In 2018-19, even though she was injured and unable to play after being injured Nov. 21, Andrews remained a huge part of the team. She was on the bench for what she described as the most memorable moment of her career -- a game-winning, buzzer-beating three pointer by senior guard
Roxy Barahman (Calabasas, Calif.) at home against Harvard for a 65-62 win. The play made ESPN SportsCenter's "Top 10 Plays" for the day.
"The most memorable moment for me has got to be when
Roxy Barahman sunk a half court shot versus Harvard during my sophomore season," said Andrews. "It was the perfect culmination to an epic game, and the exhilaration that we all felt after she hit the shot was truly something I will never forget."
Andrews is part of a Yale Women's Basketball Class of 2021 that also includes guard
Tori Andrew (St. Louis, Mo.) and forward
Alex Cade (Shaker Heights, Ohio). She and her classmates will take on a unique leadership role, helping the team come together as the world continues to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Bulldogs' 2019-20 season ended prematurely, after the Bulldogs beat Harvard 60-58 on a three-pointer by Andrews in the final minute of the final game of the regular season. The win clinched the No. 3 seed in the Ivy League Tournament for Yale, but three days later that tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The remaining postseason tournaments were canceled shortly after that.
"Looking forward to next season, my first hope is that we are all healthy — mentally and physically — when the season begins," Andrews said. "Given the significance and unprecedented nature of this moment in world history, I hope that the team can continue to support each other through these challenging times and come out stronger, and know that we can't take any chance to be and play together for granted."
Next year the Bulldogs return three players who have 55 or more career starts, including Andrew, Andrews and sophomore forward
Camilla Emsbo (Lakewood, Colo.). Next year's returnees accounted for more than two-thirds of the points the team scored this year, giving the Bulldogs a solid foundation for success.
"In terms of basketball, we still have our eyes set on winning an Ivy League title at the end of next season; but doing so will require that we maintain strong team chemistry, work our hardest every day, and have fun throughout the process," said Andrews. "As a senior leader, I hope to facilitate each of those processes throughout the season."
An Academic All-District and Academic All-Ivy League selection this past winter, Andrews is a history major in Berkeley College at Yale and is a graduate of Greenhill School. She will spend the summer of 2020 as an Investigative Intern for Georgetown Law School's Criminal Justice Clinic. She is considering law school after Yale, and may teach elementary or middle school before continuing her education.
