Yard's work at expanding game fits perfect for Wesmen

At an early age, her height declared Emma Yard be placed in the post. So she went to work expanding her craft to become positionless. 
 
Yard, a 6-foot-1 talent from Vincent Massey Collegiate, is the second commitment in Alyssa Cox's Winnipeg Wesmen women's basketball recruiting class of 2026. 
 
Yard, also a talented team handball player, has developed her skills in the Attack club program as well as Basketball Manitoba's Targeted Athlete Program (TAP), in addition to her experience at the high school level at Vincent Massey. 
 
With the Trojans, Yard helped her team win the 2024-25 AAAA provincial championship, alongside current Wesmen guard Jennifer Edwards. It was then that she began to believe she had a shot at playing at the next level urged on by Cox's early recruitment of her.
 
"I'd been talking to Alyssa a bit before that, but I didn't really feel like I was like kind of at that level," she said. "Provincial final, against Dakota and we ended up winning, it was kind of like I'd gone against like the hardest competition in the city and I'd been able to make opportunities for myself. Being on the big stage, and like feeling what it feels like to have all those people watching and stuff, I was like, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do, I don't want this to stop after high school.'"
 
Early on, she said, coaches were inclined to play her underneath the hoop, but her time in the Attack system has allowed her to branch out.
 
"(TAP) was really great for my development," she said. "And after that I decided to play for my current club, Attack, and they've really helped me with my skill development. Being as tall as I am, I've kind of always just been in the post, but they've really helped me develop ball handling skills and everything like that. So, I played with them the past three years and it's been really great."
 
And Yard has embraced the ask of her to become a versatile player.
 
"Depending on the team, depending on what they need, I can handle the ball. I play on the wing. One of the great things Alyssa said is not only just like screening and rolling, but I can also screen and pop. Like shooting threes is something I've recently added. Just kind of being able to play every person."
 
Cox believes Yard's versatility is precisely what will help her succeed in the university game. 
 
"Emma is an immediate standout because of her size, length, and athletic ability," Cox said. "Her versatility on the offensive end will give us exciting new options in how we play and make her a difficult matchup for our opponents. She has a wealth of experience playing at a high level and we are looking forward to helping her continue to grow her game as a Wesmen."
 
Yard joins Daniel McIntyre's Ava Shaw in the 2026 class to date.