Dayton women’s basketball signs four 2023 recruits

Fiala, a 6-foot-4 center who committed to Dayton in October joins three other players in Dayton’s 2023 class, which coach Tamika Williams-Jeter announced Monday. Williams-Jeter, who was hired in March after Shauna Green departed for Illinois, and her assistants had flexibility with this class because they left five scholarships open on the 2022-23 roster.

“The 2023 class adds depth and versatility with their abilities to play multiple positions,” Williams-Jeter said. “This is a very diverse group. We have kids that come from farms, from little nowhere Pennsylvania, the Bahamas, and the middle of Ohio that are coming together. They are extremely high character kids. They are very competitive and are coming in with an expectation and knowing what it means to play at a place like Dayton. They are extremely talented. I am really excited about them joining the family.”

Here’s a quick look at each of the recruits:

Fiala: Her first scholarship offer came from Ohio State in June of 2020 after her freshman year in high school. Williams-Jeter was then an assistant coach at Ohio State.

Fiala played her freshman season at Indiana High School. She then transferred to Pine-Richland for her sophomore season but elected not to play basketball. She returned to Indiana last season and averaged 12.8 points per game as a junior. She committed to Dayton after visiting campus Oct. 1.

Denika Lightbourne: A 5-10 guard from Tallulah Falls High School in Georgia, Lightbourne is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, where Dayton will play two games next week in the Baha Mar Pink Flamington Championship.

Lightbourne scored 20 points in the first game of her senior season Saturday, leaving her nine points shy of the 1,000-point milestone. She played for Bahamas’ women’s national team last summer. She talked about her decision to sign with Dayton in a story posted to her school’s website this week.

“For me, I would say the people and environment,” she said. “Apart from what they were offering, it stood out how everyone interacted and carried themselves. It’s honestly because usually, people would try their hardest to persuade someone and really force an idea onto them but we had conversations about everything except committing. Another factor was that they saw my potential so, ‘Why not Dayton?!’”

Lauren Pallotta, 5-10 guard, Massillon Jackson High School: Pallotta committed to Dayton on Aug. 5, becoming the first member of the class. She averaged 15.1 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior after missing most of the previous season with a knee injury.

Riley Rismiller, 6-4 forward, Coldwater High School: Rismiller committed to Dayton on Aug. 12. She led the Midwest Athletic Conference in scoring last season as a junior (17.0 points per game) and ranked second in rebounding (10.3).

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The lone 2023 recruit for the Dayton men, Jaiun Simon, signed his letter of intent Monday in a ceremony at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Ga. Simon, a 6-7 forward, committed to Dayton in October.

“We are excited to announce the signing of Jaiun Simon to our 2022-23 recruiting class,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said in a statement. “We believe Jaiun will be a great fit into our culture, style of play and campus community. He demonstrates great character and humility, combined with toughness, a high motor, and a consistent work ethic. He is a multi-positional player with a versatile skill set and a history of winning. We’re excited to welcome him to the Flyer Family.”

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