Received a release from Yale about the Bulldogs' plans to honor former North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 66 after a 20-year battle with breast cancer.

Here's the release:
Bulldogs Remember Kay Yow

Yale Hosts Cornell, Columbia in Ivy League Contests This Weekend

As women’s basketball programs across the country prepare for their WBCA Pink Zone events, an annual initiative dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness, the spirit of the occasion has taken on a new meaning. On Saturday, January 24, long-time North Carolina State Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kay Yow passed away after a long, heroic battle with breast cancer at the age of 66. The Hall of Fame coach was the face, the heart and the driving force behind the success of the WBCA Pink Zone and t he Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. The Fund, launched in 2007 as the first women's initiative that the WBCA has chosen in its 27-year history, garnered the support of over 1,200 teams and organizations last season, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising more $930,000.


For the Yale University women’s basketball program, the passing of Coach Yow came just six days prior to the first of six Ivy League home contests dedicated to the WBCA Pink Zone initiative. The Bulldogs will host Columbia (Friday, 7 p.m.) and Cornell (Saturday, 6 p.m.) this weekend. Yale, with the support of local donors, raised over $5,000 for the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven as a part of last season’s event.

“Kay contributed so much to women’s basketball as a coach and as a person” said Chris Gobrecht, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Women’s Basketball at Yale. “She must be extremely proud of how widespread the WBCA Think Pink initiative has become. It’s a credit to her dedication and perseverance.”

The 2008-09 Bulldogs met Coach Yow in November, as they faced her North Carolina State squad in the Subway Classic hosted by the University of Minnesota. Yale earned the win over the Wolfpack, 65-61, but, for the Bulldogs, the impact of the meeting has lasted long after the final horn sounded.

“The opportunity to play against Coach Yow and NC State was an honor and a memory that will stick with me for a long time. We are fortunate to have experienced a game against one of the most influential women's basketball coaches of all time and thankful for all that she has done for the game,” said Yale captain Jamie Van Horne ’09.

"I was struck by how classy and hard-working her team was,” recalled Gobrecht. “You could see the type of person Kay was by watching her players. It was a privilege to play against them.”

Coach Yow once said, “When life kicks you, let it kick you forward”. Yale women’s basketball, among thousands of teams, organizations and fans across the country, felt that kick this past weekend upon hearing of Coach Yow’s passing. But when the Bulldogs don their pink apparel and take the court this weekend as a part of the WBCA Pink Zone initiative to play the game that they love- the game Coach Yow loved- that kick will most certainly be a kick forward.

Also, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said on his weekly show on WTIC that he is planning to be in North Carolina on Friday for Yow's funeral. I imagine it will be one of the most well-attended funerals in women's basketball history.

On a personal note, if UConn manages to reach the Final Four, I will do everything in my power to take part in the 4Kay Run which will begin on April 4 at 8 a.m. My participation will depend on two factors - first the press conference schedule that day and second how successful I am in getting off my butt and do a little bit of running in the weeks and months leading up to the event.

Changing gears, Tuesday was the kickoff of the EuroLeague quarterfinals. Former UConn stars and current Connecticut Sun players were well represented.

Defending champion Spartak Moscow Region opened with a 102-86 win over ZVVK USK Prague. Former UConn great Diana Taurasi had 23 points, her former UConn teammate Sue Bird added 13 points and five assists while Sylvia Fowles and Lauren Jackson combined for 52 points and 25 rebounds.

Former Connecticut Sun guard Evanthia Maltsi led ZVVK USK Prague with 27 points, Lindsay Whalen of the Sun added 20 points and Swin Cash, a teammate of Bird and Taurasi on the 2001-02 national championship team at UConn, had 11 points and nine rebounds but also had seven turnovers.

Former UConn teammates Asjha Jones and Svetlana Abrosimova combined for 22 points and eight rebounds and Sandrine Gruda, who played with both Jones and Abrosimova with the Connecticut Sun in 2008, added eight points in UMMC Ekaterinburg's 91-61 win over TEO Vilnius.

Amber Holt of the Sun had five points and eight rebounds as MGB Euroleasing opened with an 81-58 win over Wisla Can-Pack.

Bourges Basket, MiZo Pecs 2010, Halcon Avenida, Ros Casares and Fenebahce also won in the first game of the best of three game series. Game two for all the series will be Friday with the third game (if necessary) set for Feb. 4.