Short stature can’t stop Yale guard Yoyo Greenfield on the court

She may be small in stature, but Yoyo Greenfield was a big part of the Yale women’s basketball team’s 81-74 victory over Columbia this season.

The 5-foot-5 guard scored a career-high 20 points in that matchup, 12 of which came from 3-pointers. Overall, she shot 8-of-15 from the field.

“If Yoyo gets an open look, she’s certainly got the ability to bury it,” Yale head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “She was just able to get some good looks in that game.”

Perhaps what is most amazing about Greenfield’s performance is that she scored well above her season average of 10.2 points per game without a single trip to the free-throw line. It is there that Greenfield often crushes Yale’s opponents.

Greenfield is hitting a career—best 81.7 percent of her foul shots this season, making her one of the Ivy League’s top free—throw shooters. Only Harvard’s Brogan Berry and Dartmouth’s Margaret Smith are more efficient at the charity stripe.

As a freshman, Greenfield sank 78.6 percent of her free throws. Last year, as a sophomore, she made 79.1 percent of them. With her soft touch at the foul line, Greenfield has led Yale to the second—highest free—throw shooting percentage in the league this year. The Bulldogs make 69.7 percent of their foul shots.

While Greenfield does not regularly score 20 points in a single game, she has become a reliable component of Yale’s offense. After reaching double figures in seven of the Bulldogs’ 14 nonconference games this season, Greenfield has been an even steadier shooter during Ivy play. She has scored in double figures in nine of Yale’s 12 league matchups.

Being primarily a shooting guard this year has allowed Greenfield to become a greater offensive threat. Last season, Greenfield was Yale’s starting point guard. With freshman standout Megan Vasquez now assuming that responsibility, Greenfield is able to concentrate on scoring.

“I find myself focusing on getting out in transition and looking for my 3-point shot more,” Greenfield said.

Possessing both quickness and the ability to score makes Greenfield a veritable weapon on the fast break. Against Columbia, those attributes have allowed her to be successful.

“We lost her way too often, especially in transition,” Columbia head coach Paul Nixon said. “Give her credit, because she knocked down the open shots when she had them.”

But Greenfield is more than just a scorer. Her speed makes her an essential part of Yale’s efforts on both ends of the floor.

“She’s one of their more aggressive on-ball defenders,” Nixon said. “Throughout her career, she’s a player that they have liked to use to extend their defense into the full court.”

While she may never be the tallest player on the floor, Greenfield cannot be overlooked.

“When somebody works that hard and is that tough of a person, then you can’t underestimate them just because of their size,” Bulldog coach Gobrecht said. “You know they’re going to have an impact on the game.”