Yale women’s captain Camilla Emsbo to miss 2022-23 due to injury, ending Yale playing career

Camilla Emsbo averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in 82 games as a Yale Bulldog. (Camilla Emsbo’s Twitter page)

Yale’s Camilla Emsbo was scheduled to play for Team USA at the Maccabi Games in Israel this summer, but the 6’5″ forward did not ultimately join the team. Several weeks later, the Next Hoops’ Jenn Hatfield tweeted that “a source familiar with the situation” told her that Emsbo entered the transfer portal for 2023-24. With only one year of eligibility remining, it appeared that the two-time All-Ivy player was done playing for the Elis, but she remained on Yale’s 2022-23 roster and the school would not discuss her status for this season.

The school announced that Embso has an undisclosed injury and will be out for the year Tuesday morning, a few hours before the Ivy League’s Media Day. Despite not playing on the court, the senior captain will remain with the team in a supporting role. The injury ends Emsbo’s Yale playing career.

“We’re devastated (for Camilla), collectively,” first-year head coach Dalila Eshe told the Media Day participants. “She’s an incredible anchor for us and she’s going to be a huge part of the team throughout the entire year. Her voice will be very impactful.”

“We’re all just heartbroken for Camilla,” said junior guard Jenna Clark. “She is one of the best players I’ve ever played with in my life.”

Emsbo was a five-star recruit out of high school and listed as the 34th-best player in the Class of 2018 by ESPN when she arrived in New Haven. In her three seasons with the Bulldogs, she finished with 1,092 points, 715 rebounds and 172 blocks. Emsbo averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in 82 games for Yale.

The Lakewood, Colo. native was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection in her 2021-22 junior campaign as well as a second-team selection in her 2019-20 sophomore season. She took the 2020-21 academic year off from school, due to the pandemic and played with the Danish national team.

While no plans have been announced for next season, Emsbo will certainly be a highly coveted grad transfer and look to add to the Ancient Eight’s recent high-major transfer profile that includes Katie Benzan (Maryland), Abby Meyers (Maryland) and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich (Minnesota).