Ivy Hoops Online recently caught up with fifth-year Yale women’s basketball coach Dalila Eshe on a wide range of topics:
Ivy Hoops Online: Can you give us a preview of your out-of-conference scheduling and some insight into your scheduling philosophy?
Dalila Eshe: My philosophy around nonconference scheduling has evolved over the last few years. We always want to challenge our team, but we also have to balance several important factors. We try to give our players an opportunity to play close to home at some point during their four years, and we’re mindful of the academic calendar – particularly when they have to manage midterms or other demanding course work. We always prioritize regional games during the week whenever possible to minimize missed class time and travel demands. Ultimately, the goal is to build a balanced schedule that challenges our players appropriately, prepares us for Ivy League play and supports their overall experience as student-athletes.
IHO: Might we ever see UConn on the schedule?
DE: I’m certainly not opposed to putting UConn on the schedule. We’re always open to opportunities that make sense for our program and our team at the right time.
IHO: You have as many as seven roster players from Europe. Why are you emphasizing European recruiting?
DE: Our philosophy is to go wherever we can find the best available talent and the right fit for Yale. The recruiting pool in the Ivy League is naturally small. When you combine the basketball ability needed to help you win with the academic profile required to succeed here, the pool becomes even smaller, and many of us end up recruiting the same players. We wanted to expand our reach and find another avenue which could give our program an advantage. Having played overseas for nine years, I have a great appreciation for the European style of play and the way the game is taught and played internationally.
IHO: Given that many power-five programs are focusing on the portal rather than freshmen, does that create an opportunity for Yale?
DE: It does create a different kind of opportunity. At the same time, many of the players being recruited by Ivy League programs are top 100-caliber prospects, so they are receiving significant interest nationally. Our recruiting battles continue to include the other Ivies as well as programs such as Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Purdue, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.
IHO: Since you spent time on the Princeton staff, did it surprise you to see Carla Berube leave for Northwestern?
DE: I wasn’t entirely surprised. I knew there were a few select power-four opportunities that could be appealing to her. She will continue recruiting many of the same high-academic, high-level players she recruited in the Ivy League. I think the fit makes a lot of sense, and I’m excited to see what she does there.
IHO: What is your early analysis of the Ivy League this season, and do you think that there is greater parity from top to bottom?
DE: The Ivy League has an incredibly talented and competitive group of coaches. You can see each year how hard every program is recruiting and how intentional everyone is about finding ways to improve. The league continues to get stronger from top to bottom, and I believe we will see even greater parity over the next few years. That will make the league extremely competitive, a lot of fun to be part of and ultimately [be] very good for Ivy League women’s basketball.
Good article. Thanks
They have something like 19 listed players on their 2026-27 roster. Is that even allowed or are they including the JV squad?