MILWAUKEE - Emma Dau of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Alyssa Fischer of Manitowoc, Wis., Akaylah Hayes of Milwaukee, Wis., and Emma Roenneburg of Adams, Wis., have all signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, head coach Kyle Rechlicz announced today.
 
"We have taken a huge step in our program this week by signing four highly-skilled players to our Panther Family," Rechlicz said. "Each of them brings a unique skill set and will have an early opportunity to make a mark on the court here at Milwaukee. They are experienced in winning and have a true passion for the game and for wanting to get better. Along with their skills on their court, they are also a class of high-character individuals from great families that understand the importance of academics."
 
Dau is the lone out-of-state product among the group and is currently a senior at Spirit Lake High School in Iowa. A year ago, she led her squad to an 18-6 overall record, including a second-place finish in the Lakes Conference and a regional final appearance in the postseason.
 
She was selected for Class 3A Second Team All-State honors after a season in which the 6-foot forward scored 16.2 points-per-game, averaged 6.7 rebounds and also led her team in assists, steals, blocks and both free throws made and attempted.
 
"The first qualities that stood out to us when we watched Emma play during the summer were the heart and toughness she plays with every possession," Rechlicz said. "She is truly one of those players that leaves it all on the court. She will work for minutes both on the perimeter and in the post, since she has the ability to put the ball on the floor with some size. We also have high expectations that she will step into a leadership role very early in her career here at UWM."
 
Fischer averaged 18.0 points-per-game last season at Manitowoc Lincoln High School, adding 5.3 rebounds while shooting 82 percent from the line. She was named Honorable Mention All-State by the Associated Press and was also the 2014 HTR Media Girls Basketball Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Fox River Classic Conference selection as well.
 
An all-league pick each of her first two prep campaigns, Fischer averaged 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a sophomore after debuting with 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists each outing as a freshman. She is an all-conference volleyball player, helping her squad to a regional championship a year ago. Fischer also plays AAU basketball for the Wisconsin Blizzard.
 
"Alyssa is one of the toughest and hardest-working players that I have ever recruited," Rechlicz said. "She has a love for the game of basketball and a work ethic that is going to immediately elevate our team in practices and games. She has point-guard skills as a shooter and can knock shots down consistently from behind the arc. Two of her best attributes though, are her defensive intensity and her leadership skills. She will do whatever it takes to get a win and that, along with her work ethic, will take her really far here at Milwaukee."
 
Hayes plays for one of the best local teams in the city at Milwaukee King High School and has teamed with fellow NCAA Division I recruit Shakeela Fowler to make the Lady Generals an imposing opponent. Despite missing time with a knee injury a year ago, Hayes was named a First-Team Milwaukee All-City Conference Gold Division member after averaging 13.3 points per game. She is also an accomplished rebounder, setting the school record with 26 in a game last season against Monona Grove. The team's leading scorer as a sophomore, she earned Milwaukee Journal Sentinel All-Area honors and helped King to a runner-up finish at state her freshman campaign, contributing 7.6 points per contest.
 
"We feel very fortunate to have one of the best players in Milwaukee decide to stay and represent her hometown," Rechlicz said. "Not many people know about Akaylah yet, due to a few injuries, but she is going to shock a lot of people in her career here. Her athleticism will help us pick up the tempo on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. She is one of the best rebounders that I have seen as high school player and we are looking forward to her bringing that talent and heart for the boards every day she steps on the court as a Panther."
 
Roenneburg plays for Adams-Friendship High School and selected the Panthers out of a large group of suitors that included Saint Louis, South Dakota State, Bradley, Youngstown State and Northern Illinois.
 
With her senior season yet to play, Roenneburg has a long list of accomplishments already on her resume. The three-time South Central Conference Player of the Year has led her team to three straight league titles and an impressive win-loss mark of 67-6 in her three seasons. A third-team all-state selection by the Associated Press as a junior, she averaged 19.4 points-per-game last season and has already eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau in her prep career after averaging 15 points a game each of her first two years.
 
"Emma has dominated the western side of Wisconsin in every sport she has played during her high school career," Rechlicz said. "We couldn't be more thrilled that she is bringing that competitiveness and skill set east to UWM next season. She brings us much-needed size in the paint and is versatile enough to step out on the perimeter and be a stretch 3 for us at times. Emma can score in a variety of ways and has really developed her shot as of late to become a great shooter. We expect that she will be bidding for time immediately in the post."