NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The 2025-26 season starts Friday for the Yale women's basketball team, as the Bulldogs host Northeastern (6:00 p.m.,
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Yale's Top Returners
Here are Yale's leading returners from 2024-25 in various categories:
Captain Capstraw
Senior guard
Kiley Capstraw (West Orange, N.J.) is Yale's captain. Capstraw led the Bulldogs in assists last season (2.6 per game) as a guard and has moved to forward this year. She has shown the ability to be a reliable scorer, finishing among the team's top three in scoring every year of her career.
Roster Refresh
Yale has added five first years and two transfers to the roster this year. The Bulldogs have one senior, four juniors, four sophomores and five first-years.
Foreign Tour
Yale traveled to Spain (Barcelona), and France (Nice), this past August. In addition to playing two games against local teams, the Bulldogs took part in cultural and educational experiences throughout their time abroad. The visit to Barcelona included a tour of La Sagrada Familia Basilica, known as "the largest unfinished Catholic Church in the world". Construction began in 1882. The Bulldogs visited Las Ramblas, a famed pedestrian street that runs for approximately three-quarters of a mile and is known for street performers, flower stalls and a variety of shops and restaurants. They also attended a local cooking class and cooked their own dinner one night. The visit to Nice included a tour of Vieux Nice, a historic district characterized by narrow, colorful streets, vibrant markets and lively atmosphere. The Bulldogs also went on a walking tour of Cannes, a town on the French Riviera (the Côte d'Azur).
International Flavor
In addition to eight different U.S. states, the Yale roster includes players from four foreign countries:
Coaching Staff
Dalila Eshe returns for her fourth season as Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball after joining Yale from Princeton, where she spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and helped the Tigers to a No. 24 national ranking and an Ivy League title. Assistant coaches
Helen Tau and
Hannah Early Vaughn and director of operations
Jehrin Colbert are all back for a third year. Assistant coach
Anna Kim joins the staff this year.
Scouting Northeastern
Northeastern ended last season with a 3-25 record (2-16 CAA). The Huskies opened this season with a 75-60 loss to LIU on Monday. Guard Yirsy Quéliz was a preseason honorable mention All-CAA pick. Last year she averaged 11.7 points per game along with 3.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
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