Following a sophomore campaign where she appeared in and started all 30 matches for the Bearcats, junior guard Yanniah Boyd has been developing her offensive bag in the offseason. Last season, she ranked second on the squad with 9.4 points per game, cementing her as the leading scorer for Binghamton among the program’s returners.

“Sometimes I had lapses where I was going really hard and scoring, and then I’d slow down and take myself out of the play, so with that staying in, staying locked-in for the full 40 minutes, not-not being aggressive,” Boyd said. “And then in the off-season, I definitely developed even more of a mid-range game. Everyone knows I’m a driver, I like to get downhill and then last season I was getting my shot back, so there’s that three. Just continuing to be a multi-level scorer is definitely something I worked on in the offseason, so I’m ready to showcase that out there as well.”

After a freshman season in which Boyd averaged 7.8 minutes per game, alongside 17.4 percent field goal shooting and 6.7 percent three-point shooting, she made major strides in efficiency while transitioning into a permanent starter role for Binghamton last year. Boyd improved her field goal percentage to 39.3, while her three-point percentage grew to 28.8.

“It was definitely an experience that I enjoyed,” Boyd said. “Even from my freshman season to sophomore year was a big jump and a big change, but [Grimes] trusted me to be able to take that role, someone she looked toward for defensive purposes and keeping the team together and then bringing that energy on. So, this year I’m going to keep building on that, stepping into that leadership role as well with that starting role and keep putting my pedal to the metal.”

Before her tenure at Binghamton, Boyd closed out her final two years of high school play at Riverdale Baptist. She also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for the Germantown Lady Panthers and the Fairfax Stars in the Elite Youth Basketball League circuit, where she was a part of the U-17 squad that placed third in the Nike Nationals Invitational Tournament back in 2022.

“AAU was definitely an experience to remember,” Boyd said. “I’m very grateful, especially for my parents, who put me and my sister in that circuit. I think it exposed my game to a much higher level. I got to play against some of the top girls in the country, and say I could do that and compete against them and know that I could play at that level. Again, it just gave me that confidence to know that I have a high goal of playing at the Division I level and being able to reach that though there I’m so grateful for.”

Entering her penultimate year of eligibility, now as a team co-captain, Boyd’s personal goals remain constant. She continues her search for her first America East All-Conference honor.

“Same goals as last season, I look forward to making an all-conference team and then also an all-defensive team and continuing to be a leader,” Boyd said. “I got named captain this year, so I want to step into that role even further than I did last year. Pretty much that’s it, being aggressive, staying confident, those are my goals.”

For her favorite post-game meal, Chick-fil-A has become a go-to for Boyd and her teammates alike on road matchups.

“On away trips, it would have to be Chick-fil-A just because we don’t have that here in Binghamton,” Boyd said. “So when we do get it, we definitely take advantage of the moment, the whole bus smells like it, but it’s fine.”