CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's basketball and head coach Nancy Fahey announced Wednesday (Nov. 10) the signing of four student-athletes to the Illinois women's basketball program. Samantha Dewey (North Andover, Massachusetts), Camille Jackson (Chicago, Illinois), Hana Mühl (Zagreb, Croatia), and Liisa Taponen (Tampere, Finland) will join the Orange and Blue for the 2022-23 season.
FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are overjoyed at the addition of Samantha "Sam" Dewey to our Illini family. Sam is a hard-nosed and physical post player from Massachusetts, with an extremely high motor and great work ethic. She has very good back-to-the basket skills and is an excellent rebounder at both ends of the floor. She is good passer with impressive shooting range and the ability to attack from the elbow, and has great defensive skills both on and off the block. Sam's passion and enthusiasm for the game are contagious, she brings an energy to the court that spreads to her teammates!"
FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are ecstatic to add one of the top-rated 2022 players in the state of Illinois to our Illini Family! Camille Jackson is an unbelievably athletic and strong guard; she can score multiple ways and has the ability to play at an extremely fast pace. Her hard work and dedication show in her continued improvement over the last year. She is a defensive stopper, passer and scorer, and is exactly the type of player we need to continue to build this into a championship program. Camille believes in what we are building here at Illinois and her energy and enthusiasm are great additions to our team!"
FAHEY'S TAKE: "Hana Mühl is a tough competitor with a high IQ, coming to us from Croatia. She has very good court vision and makes great decisions with the ball in her hands whether scoring or finding open teammates. Her ability to attack the rim and stretch the defense from the perimeter make her a consistent scoring threat from multiple areas. Her experience playing on the international stage has led to a competitive maturity that will help her make the transition to a talented college player. We are extremely excited about Hana's future with our program!"
FAHEY'S TAKE: "A talented 6-5 post player from Finland, Liisa Taponen is very comfortable and effective operating with her back to the basket. She knows how to maneuver the defense and is able to get deep touches in the paint that make her a talented post scorer. Liisa has worked hard to become an inside-outside threat and has developed the ability to score on the move and find open teammates; she is a post that will be able to stretch the floor within our offense. We are thrilled she is joining the Fighting Illini family!"
SAMANTHA DEWEY | NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS | BROOKS SCHOOL
DEWEY'S HIGHLIGHTS:- Prep Girls Hoops ranked as the No. 2 player in Massachusetts for the class of 2022.
- Team co-captain of the Brooks School girls basketball team
- Helped lead the Books School to the 2020 New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class B Championship
- Named NEPSAC tournament MVP after recording 16 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game.
- Chose Illinois among offers from 14 Division I programs
FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are overjoyed at the addition of Samantha "Sam" Dewey to our Illini family. Sam is a hard-nosed and physical post player from Massachusetts, with an extremely high motor and great work ethic. She has very good back-to-the basket skills and is an excellent rebounder at both ends of the floor. She is good passer with impressive shooting range and the ability to attack from the elbow, and has great defensive skills both on and off the block. Sam's passion and enthusiasm for the game are contagious, she brings an energy to the court that spreads to her teammates!"
CAMILLE JACKSON | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS | BUTLER COLLEGE PREP
JACKSON'S HIGHLIGHTS:- Rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN and ProspectsNation.com
- ESPN ranked as the No. 65 player overall and the No. 17 guard in the Class of 2022
- Prep Girls Hoops ranked as the No. 48 nationally prospect, and the No. 2 player in Illinois for the class of 2022.
- Led Butler College Prep to back-to-back Noble League Championships
- Has averaged 14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game throughout her high school career.
FAHEY'S TAKE: "We are ecstatic to add one of the top-rated 2022 players in the state of Illinois to our Illini Family! Camille Jackson is an unbelievably athletic and strong guard; she can score multiple ways and has the ability to play at an extremely fast pace. Her hard work and dedication show in her continued improvement over the last year. She is a defensive stopper, passer and scorer, and is exactly the type of player we need to continue to build this into a championship program. Camille believes in what we are building here at Illinois and her energy and enthusiasm are great additions to our team!"
HANA MÜHL | ZAGREB, CROATIA | SPORT GYMNASIUM
MÜHL'S HIGHLIGHTS:- Competes for Club ZKK Tresnjevka 2009
- Averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for Tresnjevka during the 2020-21 season.
- Competed for Croatia in the 2021 U18 European Championships, averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.
- Also competed for Croatia at the 2018 U16 European Championships, averaging 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
FAHEY'S TAKE: "Hana Mühl is a tough competitor with a high IQ, coming to us from Croatia. She has very good court vision and makes great decisions with the ball in her hands whether scoring or finding open teammates. Her ability to attack the rim and stretch the defense from the perimeter make her a consistent scoring threat from multiple areas. Her experience playing on the international stage has led to a competitive maturity that will help her make the transition to a talented college player. We are extremely excited about Hana's future with our program!"
LIISA TAPONEN | TAMPERE, FINLAND | MÄKELÄNRINTEEN UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
TAPONEN'S HIGHLIGHTS:- Competes for Club HBA-Marsky Helsinki
- Averaged 11.4 points and 9.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game during the 2020-21 season
- Helped Finland to the 2019 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship (Division B)
- Also competed for Finland in both the 2017 and 2018 U16 European Championships
FAHEY'S TAKE: "A talented 6-5 post player from Finland, Liisa Taponen is very comfortable and effective operating with her back to the basket. She knows how to maneuver the defense and is able to get deep touches in the paint that make her a talented post scorer. Liisa has worked hard to become an inside-outside threat and has developed the ability to score on the move and find open teammates; she is a post that will be able to stretch the floor within our offense. We are thrilled she is joining the Fighting Illini family!"
