NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's basketball program welcomes five incoming first-years for 2026-27. The Bulldogs announced the class today.  

The incoming Bulldogs have been a part of successful teams, with all five having won championships at various levels. They have excelled on the court, with all having earned MVP or Player of the Year honors. They have leadership experience, as four have been team captains. 

The newest Bulldogs have contributed to their communities in a variety of ways, including volunteering as youth basketball coaches, fostering puppies, working with organizations such as the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund for childhood cancer, and starting a club that organizes concerts for neighborhood seniors. 

The class joins the Bulldogs for the team's fifth season with Dalila Eshe as Yale's Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. 

Here is a look at the newest Bulldogs:

Kasey Davey
#14
6-0
Forward
Atlantic Beach, Fla.
Providence School of Jacksonville
 
Providence School of Jacksonville: Basketball team captain… Reps on Reps Player of the Year candidate 2026… Team Offensive MVP 2026…  Averaged 17.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.5 BPG as a senior; led team in PPG, BPG, FT%, and SPG… All-First Coast Team 2025… Team Defensive MVP 2025…        Team was 3A state runners-up 2025… Reps on Reps Team of the Year 2025… Team made three Final Four appearances… Team won district championship four times… Team was regional champion three times… Captained cross country team and track and field team…  Was a part of 2025 State Champion 4x800m relay for track and field team… Made four state championship appearances in 800m for track and field team.
 
Duval Elite: Named player of the week multiple times.
 
Notes: Senior Volunteer to Program Director for Tom Coughlin Jay Fund… Has volunteered as a youth basketball coach… Hobbies include running, spending time with family/friends/dogs, going to the beach, traveling, and listening to music… Father, Don Davey, played football at Wisconsin and in the NFL (defensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars)… Sister, Carly Davey, played volleyball at Miami. 
 
Why Yale? "I chose Yale as it will allow me to pursue both my academic and athletic passions to my fullest potential. I am confident the coaching staff and team will push me to grow in every area possible. I'm excited to step into my role as a student-athlete in the fall. Go Bulldogs!"
 
Katie Diao
#30
5-9
Guard
Rockville, Md.
Richard Montgomery High School 

Richard Montgomery High School: Two-year captain… Montgomery County Player of the Year… Two-time second team All-Met… Two-time honorable mention All-Met… Three-time Division Player of the Year… Four-time first team all-division… Second-leading scorer in school history… Team was Maryland 4A state finalists 2026… Team was three-time regional champions and three-time division champions… National Merit Scholarship recipient.

Team Thrill: S40 17U Honorable Mention.

Notes: Co-founded youth club called Together We Shine; has been hosting concerts for seniors in neighborhood for 10 years…. Expanded on this mission and also organized concerts for veterans and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

Why Yale? "I chose Yale because of the combination of elite academics and athletics, as well as its interdisciplinary and collaborative community."
 
Helena Keane
#18
6-0
Guard
Dublin, Ireland
Muckross Park College
 
Ireland Basketball: Led U18 National Team in scoring, rebounding, efficiency at U18 Division B European Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania… Averaged 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds… Advanced to quarterfinals with U18 3x3 Youth Olympic Team in Skopje, North Macedonia… U16 National team captain.
 
Muckross Park College: Captain of Schools U16 and U19 team… MVP in Schools All-Ireland Final; top scorer and rebounder… Schools Sportsperson of the Year 2025… Team was 2023 All-Ireland Schools Final champions… Team was 2024 and 2025 Regional Champions.

Meteors Basketball Club: Back-to-back National Cup Champions… MVP in U18 National Cup Final 2025; top scorer with 30 points; nine rebounds…Meteors Superleague Team was National Champions 2026.

Notes: Played Gaelic football, volleyball and tennis from ages 5-10… Youth basketball coach for summer camps… Work experience in Irish Parliament… Loves to travel and spend time with family.

Why Yale? "Yale offers the opportunity to pursue both academic and athletic excellence. But what truly set it apart was the strong feeling of community within the team and the university as a whole. I knew that I would be simultaneously challenged and supported in growing as a player and person."
 
 
Maddie Smith
#21
5-9
Guard
Arcadia, Calif.
Flintridge Preparatory School

Flintridge Preparatory School: Four-year varsity starter… Two-year captain… Four-time all-state nominee… Four-time first team all-area_… First team All-CIF… Two-time league MVP… Two-time first team all-league… Three-time team MVP… Set school career records for three-pointers, assists, and steals; second all-time in school history in points… Team won CIF championship 2023… Team was four-time undefeated league champions.

Troop West P24: Played two years.

Notes: Enjoys coaching kids' basketball camp and giving back to Asian-American community… Attended same high school as Princeton women's basketball players Ashley Chea and Kaitlyn Chen.

Why Yale? "I chose Yale because it felt like home. The coaching staff believed in me and valued me as a person. I knew it was the right place to develop as an athlete while learning at one of the best universities in the world."
 
Lea Vukic
#2
6-0
Guard
Zagreb, Croatia
Privatna gimnazija i ekonomska škola Benedikta Kotruljevica
 
Croatian National Team: Debuted with Senior Croatian National Team in 2026… Participated in all youth national team selections, U16, U18… FIBA U18 European Championship DIV B All-Star 5 award 2025. 
 
Regional Teams: Best Scorer Award at WABA U17 Final with ZKK Tresnjevka 2023… 2023/2024 WABA Regional League: regular season Best Scorer Award and Best Rebounder Award with ZKK Tresnjevka… U17 Croatian National Champion with ZKK Tresnjevka 2024; selected for All-Star 5… U19 Croatian National Champion with ZKK Tresnjevka 2024; won MVP Award and Best Scorer Award… Basketball Without Borders Global Camp participant, Indianapolis 2025… U19 Croatian National Champion, member of ZKK Zagreb 2025…U19 Croatian National Champion; won MVP Award and Best Scorer Award 2026. 
 
Senior Premier Women's League: Competed 2024, 2025, 2026… Final Four appearances with various clubs.
 
Notes: Played water polo and was state champion before switching to basketball… Fosters puppies from a local shelter before they get adopted; has been a dog mom eight times now… Father, Hrvoje Vukic, was a professional water polo player in his youth.
 
Why Yale? "Aside from all the obvious reasons to choose Yale University, while I was visiting, my coaches and teammates had a surprise for me during lunch at Commons. In that moment, it wasn't just my mind that was convinced; it was my heart. I felt this was the place where I could become who I am meant to be. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to attend Yale."