The Ivy League overflows with some of the most well-rounded student-athletes in the nation. The cancellation of the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic built a sense of thrill and excitement around the return of Ivy League women’s basketball in 2021-2022. The season certainly did not disappoint and featured several breakout stars, as well as the return of strong forces from 2019-2020. As we look forward to the 2022-2023 season, here is one returning player from each Ivy-League institution to watch.
University of Pennsylvania: Kayla Padilla
Padilla, a rising senior guard for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers, looks to cap off an already illustrious career in 2022-2023. This past season, Padilla led the Ivy League in points per game with 18.5 while shooting 40.1% from the field and 36.8% from three. She also led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio with twice as many assists as turnovers. For 2021-2022, she was named to the All-Ivy first team, but if she continues to impress, her name will surely be in the mix for Player of the Year honors next season.
Columbia University: Abbey Hsu
Hsu will aim to deepen her imprint on the Columbia Lions basketball program as a junior guard next season. Last year, she earned second-team All-Ivy honors by leading the league in three-pointers per game with a 3.4 average and an impressive 37.5% accuracy from the three-point line. Hsu has played only two seasons for the Lions as a result of the pandemic, so she still has a lot of time to continue improving and impressing.
Harvard University: Harmoni Turner
Following a breakout debut season, Harmoni Turner will aim to carry this momentum into next year’s campaign. Turner averaged 16.4 points per game and was top 10 in the league for rebounding, scoring, and assists. Her dominance helped her earn Ivy League Rookie of the Year and second-team All-Ivy honors. The rising sophomore has an admirable all-around game and will be a formidable force for years to come in the Ivy League.
Brown University: Isabella Mauricio
Despite being snubbed from end-of-the-season Ivy-League honors, Mauricio is a huge component of the Brown program. In her debut season in 2021-2022, she shot 39.1% from the field and 34.1% from three, resulting in an average 2.7 three-pointers and 14.4 total points per game. With more experience, expect Mauricio to produce even bigger numbers in her sophomore campaign.
Princeton University: Ellie Mitchell
Mitchell deserves recognition as a defensive powerhouse. Last season as a sophomore, she led the Ivy League in rebounding with 10.1 per game and ranked fourth in steals with an admirable 2.3 per game. Her performances helped her achieve Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors. The next two seasons should be exciting for Mitchell as she continues to make key defensive stops for the Tiger program.
Yale University: Camilla Emsbo
Camilla Emsbo showed up this past season. After a year off, she came out strong for the Bulldogs. Last season, she led the league in blocked shots with 2.2 per game and field goal percentage shooting 51.4 from the field. She also displayed rebounding prowess with 10.2 rebounds per game. Through her well-rounded play, she garnered unanimous first-team All-Ivy votes. In 2022-2023, Emsbo can confidently embark on her final ride, leaving it all out on the court for her last remaining season.
Cornell University: Ania McNicholas
With the departure of Cornell’s leading player Theresa Grace Mbanefo, the door is wide open for McNicholas to cement herself as the cornerstone of the Big Red program. A rising senior, McNicholas finds herself positioned as a leader both on and off the court for the upcoming season. As a junior in 2021-2022, she averaged 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, asserting herself as a strong two-way player with a bright senior year ahead.
Dartmouth College: Doreen Ariik
The Dartmouth team had a tough season, but they should be excited over some of the up-and-coming players in their program including Doreen Ariik. Although only a rising sophomore, Ariik is already a critical component of the Big Green program. She was especially effective on defense where she tallied 16 blocks and 175 rebounds this season. Although she showed a ton of potential on defense in her first season, anticipate Ariik to improve with a season under her belt as she moves into her sophomore season.
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