The Fordham women’s basketball team took to the court for the first time in the regular season on Nov. 7 with a new coach at the helm, and their energy was unmatched as they defeated the Yale University (YU) Bulldogs, 80-67. 

Although the Rams broke out quickly in the first quarter with an eight-point run, the Bulldogs stayed within reach. It wasn’t until multiple productive scoring frenzies in the second half that Fordham secured the win. Anna DeWolfe, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’23, put on a 3-point shooting clinic, hitting four of eight attempts from behind the arc. DeWolfe was not alone in defeating the Ivy League institution, as Asiah Dingle and Kaitlyn Downey, both Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) ’23, and Sarah Karpell, Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill (GSBRH) ’23, each contributed on both ends of the floor. 

Despite DeWolfe’s accurate long-range shooting attempts — she has converted at a 33% clip on her career — the Rams struggled from behind the arc. However, efficient trips to the foul line and easy interior shots broke down an otherwise sound Yale defense. 

The game started with opening blows from the stars on both sides. Point guard Jenna Clark, YU ’23, knocked down a 10-foot jumper, fading to her left in the first minute of play. DeWolfe responded seconds later with a fake pass, sending two Yale defenders flying. Setting her feet, she sank a 15-footer.

The first half demonstrated a notable departure from Yale’s style of play in the past. The Bulldogs drew a lot of fouls last season, while keeping their own numbers to a minimum. However, with a coaching shake-up of their own, Yale has had to adapt to a new strategy. 

The difference was clear within the first few minutes as most calls were favoring Fordham. The Rams attempted 10 free throws in the first half, making eight. The Bulldogs only netted two of three from the charity stripe.

Dingle immediately leaned into her defensive abilities to energize her team. Five minutes into the half, her eager on-ball coverage and communicative switching led to a stop. On the other end of the court, she took a straight-line drive, drew a foul and split her trip to the line. It was no surprise to see Dingle at the free throw line early; she has averaged five attempts a game, scoring at a 63% rate.

However, Yale would not go down easily. With four minutes left in the first quarter, the Rams were up 14-6. Yale struck back, tying the game at 14 with an 8-0 run. Fordham responded off a steal by Matilda Flood, FCRH ’24. This ignited a 7-0 run to close out the first period, 21-14.

DeWolfe capped off her high-scoring performance with an emphatic three from the corner in front of her bench. The sitting Rams erupted in cheers and the game ended, 80-67.

Fordham’s defense is renowned in the Atlantic 10 (A10), but their offense has been lacking in recent years, scoring just 62 points per game in the last two seasons. The best way to remedy this is to focus on transforming defense into offense. Nothing exemplifies this better than Dingle popping the ball out of Clark’s hands in the final seconds of the quarter. Dingle rushed down the court and was fouled, earning a trip to the line once again.

The second quarter opened with an excellent play call by the Rams. DeWolfe flared off a Downey screen. She received a pass in stride from guard Sophia Sabino, FCRH ’26, rose up and sank the three, 24-14.

Multiple minutes of misses and occasional bursts of scoring followed. This all changed when Yale’s defense faltered, leaving Flood uncovered for an easy layup with a little over three minutes left in the half, 32-20. 

Elles van der Maas, YU ’24, responded with a 3-pointer to give her squad some energy on the next possession. This cascaded into a steal by Yale on defense and another three by van der Maas a few seconds later, setting the score to 32-26, with Fordham still in the lead at the three-minute mark.

“I’m super excited for this team and our potential. We have some things we have to clean up but I’m happy we were able to start off on a win.” Candice Green, head coach

Before the half closed out, DeWolfe drained another 3-pointer, her third of the night with only two minutes left. Downey knocked down a short-corner jumper, and DeWolfe scored again with 14 seconds left. Clark punctuated Yale’s up and down first half with a last second jumper, but the Rams still held a firm lead, 39-28.

Dingle, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, exploded in the third quarter. She scored three back-to-back shots in the first two minutes, leaving Yale with little room to respond. Despite Yale’s attempts to claw back, including another 3-pointer by van der Maas, Fordham stayed ahead, ending the third quarter 58-43.

The fourth quarter saw the Rams jump out to a 19-point lead after a layup by Downey. At the seven-minute mark, Megan Jonassen, GSAS ’23, rattled home a three of her own, but Fordham’s defense couldn’t set up in time to deny Clark the open look behind the arc. She rose up and drained it, but the Rams would not go down. 

A 7-2 run with four minutes left in the game kept Fordham afloat, 76-61, after a flurry of free throws and jumpers by the Bulldogs. The game was starting to get out of reach for Yale, but with an ace still up their sleeve, the Bulldogs pushed up the court in the last two minutes of the game. Mackenzie Egger, YU ’25, was left wide open and she heaved up a three, closing the gap to single digits, 76-67, with a minute and change left in the contest.

A subsequent 3-point attempt by Kiley Capstraw, YU ’26, missed the mark, rimming in and out. With only 33 seconds left in the game, DeWolfe capped off her high-scoring performance with an emphatic three from the corner in front of her bench. The sitting Rams erupted in cheers and the game ended, 80-67.

This early victory continues a common trend for the Rams. The Fordham womens’ basketball team has not lost the first game of their season since 2019. Additionally, this marks the first win in Candice Green’s head coaching career, a remarkable accomplishment and possibly a sign of more to come. 

“I’m super excited for this team and our potential,” Green said. “We have some things we have to clean up but I’m happy we were able to start off on a win.”

The Rams will hope to continue good habits, such as transition offense and lockdown defense as the season begins in earnest. They will have one last homestand, against fellow Jesuits at Saint Peter’s University on Nov. 10, before heading east of the Potomac to College Park, Maryland, to take on No. 17-ranked University of Maryland on Nov. 13. 

Fordham is in for a long season against multiple ranked teams and has a lot to prove. Although A10 conference play doesn’t start until Jan. 1, the team will face many challenges and growing pains in between. Let the games begin.

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