The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Adds Duo to 2023-24 Women's Basketball Signing Class
April 21 | Women's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron women's basketball squad under the leadership of first-year head coach Ryan Gensler, has announced a pair of talented newcomer additions that will hit the court for the Zips during the 2023-24 campaign.
Donning the Akron uniform this upcoming season will be Lanae Riley (Akron, Ohio/Middle Tennessee State) and Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland/Illinois).
A native of Akron, Ohio, Riley, a 6-2 forward, comes to Akron from Middle Tennessee State where she appeared in four games as a freshman for the Blue Raiders.
As a senior at Archbishop Hoban High School, Riley garnered first-team All-Ohio accolades and was a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball. She averaged nearly 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block per contest en route to leading the Knights to an undefeated regular season and a Division I district title.
Hoban advanced to the Division I state semifinals during Riley's junior campaign when she posted 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists per tilt en route to be tabbed a first-team All-Ohio and was the Northeast Inland District co-Player of the Year.
A two-time Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, Riley played her freshman season at St. Vincent-St. Mary before transferring to Hoban as a sophomore. STVM made a Division II state semifinal appearance in 2019, as she recorded 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game.
She played the first half of her sophomore season at Hoban and averaged 23.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 assists for the district champion Knights.
Gensler on Riley – "Lanae Riley is coming home. I can't wait for the Akron community to come out and see the progress the former Hoban standout has made. From the first conversation we had, I understood how aligned we were in the process to achieve success academically, athletically, and in life. I can't wait for her to represent this city and this university as being 'just a kid from Akron' carries new meaning."
Taponen, a 6-5 center from Tampere, Finland, comes to Akron from the University of Illinois where she appeared in nine games this past season as a freshman.
Taponen competed for Club HBA-Marsky Helsinki as well as playing in the 2022 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.
She averaged 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds during her prep career, including garnering 11.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest as a senior. During her junior campaign, she posted 11.4 points and 9.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
She helped Finland to the 2019 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship (Division B), while also competing for Finland in both the 2017 and 2018 U16 European Championships.
Gensler on Taponen – "I am very excited to announce the addition of Liisa Taponen. She is a relentless worker both in the classroom and on the court. She will bring a strong offensive and defensive presence to complement our frontcourt. Her experience in the Big Ten and Internationally for Finland will have her poised for immediate success."
Riley and Taponen join a talented signing class that includes Olivia Brown (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern), Leila Jones (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) and Dacia Lewandowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic), who signed National Letters of Intent with the Zips this past November.
The quintet will bolster an Akron roster that is set to return first-team All-Mid-American Conference junior F Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio), as well as junior G Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) senior G Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario), senior G Tahmala Thorpe (Mississauga, Ontario) and sophomore F Annie Watson (Akron, Ohio).
2023-24 Akron Women's Basketball Signing Class (as of April 20, 2023)
Olivia Brown, G, 6-1, Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
Leila Jones, G/F, 5-10, Westerville, Ohio (Westerville South)
Dacia Lewandowski, G, 5-11, Pittsburgh, Pa. (North Catholic)
Lanae Riley, 6-2, F, Akron, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban/Middle Tennessee State)
Liisa Taponen, 6-5, C, Tampere, Finland (Mäkelänrinteen Upper Secondary School/Illinois)
Donning the Akron uniform this upcoming season will be Lanae Riley (Akron, Ohio/Middle Tennessee State) and Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland/Illinois).
A native of Akron, Ohio, Riley, a 6-2 forward, comes to Akron from Middle Tennessee State where she appeared in four games as a freshman for the Blue Raiders.
As a senior at Archbishop Hoban High School, Riley garnered first-team All-Ohio accolades and was a finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball. She averaged nearly 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block per contest en route to leading the Knights to an undefeated regular season and a Division I district title.
Hoban advanced to the Division I state semifinals during Riley's junior campaign when she posted 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists per tilt en route to be tabbed a first-team All-Ohio and was the Northeast Inland District co-Player of the Year.
A two-time Akron Beacon Journal Player of the Year, Riley played her freshman season at St. Vincent-St. Mary before transferring to Hoban as a sophomore. STVM made a Division II state semifinal appearance in 2019, as she recorded 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game.
She played the first half of her sophomore season at Hoban and averaged 23.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 assists for the district champion Knights.
Gensler on Riley – "Lanae Riley is coming home. I can't wait for the Akron community to come out and see the progress the former Hoban standout has made. From the first conversation we had, I understood how aligned we were in the process to achieve success academically, athletically, and in life. I can't wait for her to represent this city and this university as being 'just a kid from Akron' carries new meaning."
Taponen, a 6-5 center from Tampere, Finland, comes to Akron from the University of Illinois where she appeared in nine games this past season as a freshman.
Taponen competed for Club HBA-Marsky Helsinki as well as playing in the 2022 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship.
She averaged 10.7 points and 8.1 rebounds during her prep career, including garnering 11.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest as a senior. During her junior campaign, she posted 11.4 points and 9.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
She helped Finland to the 2019 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship (Division B), while also competing for Finland in both the 2017 and 2018 U16 European Championships.
Gensler on Taponen – "I am very excited to announce the addition of Liisa Taponen. She is a relentless worker both in the classroom and on the court. She will bring a strong offensive and defensive presence to complement our frontcourt. Her experience in the Big Ten and Internationally for Finland will have her poised for immediate success."
Riley and Taponen join a talented signing class that includes Olivia Brown (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern), Leila Jones (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) and Dacia Lewandowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic), who signed National Letters of Intent with the Zips this past November.
The quintet will bolster an Akron roster that is set to return first-team All-Mid-American Conference junior F Reagan Bass (Strongsville, Ohio), as well as junior G Zakia Rasheed (Avon, Ind.) senior G Alexis Stewart (Hamilton, Ontario), senior G Tahmala Thorpe (Mississauga, Ontario) and sophomore F Annie Watson (Akron, Ohio).
2023-24 Akron Women's Basketball Signing Class (as of April 20, 2023)
Olivia Brown, G, 6-1, Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
Leila Jones, G/F, 5-10, Westerville, Ohio (Westerville South)
Dacia Lewandowski, G, 5-11, Pittsburgh, Pa. (North Catholic)
Lanae Riley, 6-2, F, Akron, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban/Middle Tennessee State)
Liisa Taponen, 6-5, C, Tampere, Finland (Mäkelänrinteen Upper Secondary School/Illinois)
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