NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The 2026-27 Yale women's basketball schedule, including eight games against teams that won 20 or more games last year, has been announced. Yale opens the season Monday, Nov. 2 vs. Elms College at John J. Lee Amphitheater. 

The Bulldogs have 14 regular season Ivy League games, starting on Jan. 4 at Brown. Those games provide a chance to earn one of four spots in the Ivy League Women's Basketball Tournament. The Ivy League Tournament determines the team that receives the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Ivy Tournament takes place in Philadelphia at The Palestra next March.

This is Yale's fifth year with Dalila Eshe as the team's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. Her coaching staff includes assistant coaches Jevon Estelle, Keisha Hampton and Anna Kim. Jehrin Colbert is the team's director of operations.

Here is a breakdown of Yale's schedule for 2026-27:

The Basics

• Yale's regular-season schedule consists of 29 games. That includes 14 games against Ivy League opponents -- one home and one away against each of the seven other schools (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Princeton).
   

• The regular-season schedule includes 15 non-conference games. In addition to the Ivy League, Yale plays games against teams from 10 other conferences:
  • America East (New Hampshire Nov. 18)
  • Coastal Athletic Association (at Northeastern Dec. 12)
  • Conference USA (W. Kentucky Dec. 19)
  • Great Northeast Athletic Conference (Elms Nov. 2)
  • Little East Conference (Western Connecticut State Nov. 30)
  • Metro (at Marist Nov. 28, at Quinnipiac Nov. 16, Rider Nov. 14, Saint Peter's Dec. 9)
  • Mid-American Conference (at Akron Dec. 6)
  • Northeast Conference (New Haven Dec. 30, St. Francis (Pa.) Nov. 6) 
  • Pac-12 (at Gonzaga Dec. 4)
  • Patriot League (American Nov. 24, at Loyola (Md.) Nov. 10)

• Yale plays games in 10 different states (Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington). Six of Yale's student-athletes have at least one game in their home state this year.
   

• There are 16 home games and 13 road games on the regular season schedule.

Strength of Schedule

• Yale will take on five teams that won 20 or more games last season, playing a total of eight games against those teams.
   
• The Bulldogs play a total of eight games against teams that played in a national postseason tournament in 2025-26. Yale plays three games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament (two games vs. Princeton, one game at Gonzaga) and five games vs. teams that made the WBIT (two games vs. Columbia, two games vs. Harvard, one game at Quinnipiac).
   
• Yale plays a pair of non-league games vs. teams that won conference titles last year (Gonzaga won the WCC Tournament and Quinnipiac shared the MAAC – now known as the Metro – regular season title).
   
• Four of Yale's opponents finished among the top 75 in the NCAA NET Rankings last year (No. 37 Princeton, No. 45 Columbia, No. 59 Harvard, No. 62 Gonzaga).

Dates to Celebrate

• On Saturday, Mar. 6 vs. Princeton, Yale will celebrate Senior Day, honoring the team's seniors: 
  • Forward Ana Guillen (Badalona, Spain)
  • Guard Lucy Lynn (Liberty Lake, Wash.)
  • Forward Mary Meng (Grafton, Ohio)
  • Forward Luisa Vydrova (Prague, Czech Republic)
• Yale's full promotional schedule will be announced later.

Postseason

• The Ivy League team that finishes the regular season with the best conference record will be declared the Ivy League champion. The winner of the Ivy League Tournament receives the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
   
• Multiple national postseason women's basketball tournaments sponsored by the NCAA are set for 2027:
  • The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Show takes place on Mar. 15. The field of 76 will be announced on that day. Two years ago, three Ivy League teams made the tournament; last year, one did. NCAA Tournament competition starts with the opening round Mar. 17-18. The first and second rounds take place Mar. 19-22. The Regional Rounds (Sweet 16, Elite Eight) take place Mar. 26-29 in Las Vegas, Nev., and Philadelphia, Pa.  The Final Four and Championship take place Apr. 3 and 5 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
  • The Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), which the NCAA added in 2024, continues. It includes 32 teams. Columbia won the championship last year.

Follow Along 

• Live stats and video of all home games – and road games where applicable – will be available via links on yalebulldogs.com. All home games, and select road games, will be available on one of ESPN's platforms. International viewers will be able to watch all home games, and select road games, on ivyleague.tv.
   

• Season tickets are on sale now on yalebulldogs.com.

Yale Women's Basketball season ticket information:

• General Admission
  • $60 (youth/senior/Yale employee)
  • $96 (adult) 
• Courtside
  • $120 (youth/senior/Yale employee) 
  • $180 (adult)
     

• The schedule is subject to change. Check yalebulldogs.com for updates.