Fourth-year coach Tamika Williams-Jeter and senior Nayo Lear represented the Dayton women’s team, which tied for fifth last season and was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll this season.
“I’m excited about this team,” Williams-Jeter said. “It’s definitely the most talented team I’ve had since I’ve been here at the University of Dayton. We did lose a lot of experience — four of our five starters — but I think with the talent level and the versatility, that production will be spread out, which is nice. To get a preseason ranking the way we did is always great, and we appreciate that coaches have showed our team some respect. We really are grateful for that. We’re just ready to get games going at this point.”
Dayton finished 18-12 overall and 11-7 in the A-10 last season. It opens the season at Illinois State on Nov. 3.
Lear, a 5-foot-10 guard from South Holland, Ill., is one of two seniors who have been on the roster for each of Williams-Jeter’s four seasons. The other is walk-on Eleanor Monyek, a 6-0 guard from Clarendon Hills, Ill.
Williams-Jeter credited Lear for taking a chance on a first-time head coach. Lear was the first incoming freshman recruited by Williams-Jeter and her staff to sign with Dayton in the spring of 2022. The signing came about five weeks after Dayton hired Williams-Jeter, who spent the previous season at Division III Wittenberg.
“I’m not sure that Nayo liked me much her first year because her grades weren’t where I thought they should be,” Williams-Jeter said, “but now she’s like the smartest person on the team. She’s probably going to work for the FBI and all this great stuff. She’s a two-way player. High confidence. Consistent. She’s a leader.
“Nayo is everything for me. We’ve grown together. She has seen me at my worst time. She seen me at my best times. We continue to believe in each other through good and bad times. That’s life long. When this kid graduates, I’ll do anything for Nayo.”
Lear averaged 4.7 points last season. She averaged double-figure minutes in each of her first three seasons.
“Playing under coach Meek has been great,” Lear said. “There have been a lot of lessons that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. She pushes us to be great basketball players but also great people.”
Dayton had one player earn an A-10 preseason honor. Fifth-year guard Nicole Stephens, who averaged 6.5 points last season, made the third team.
The Flyers added three transfers in the spring and have one freshman on the 2025-26 roster.
Lear has seen a higher level of competitiveness in practice than previous seasons.
“Our maturity has really shown this year,” she said. “You have people who actually want to put the work in and want to go all out and give effort and play with grit and heart.”
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
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