AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken, in conjunction with head women's basketball coach Mark Miller, is excited to announce the addition of six student-athletes for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year.

Serena Baker, Samantha Bardonaro, Destiny Harman, Alivia Hikel, Morgan McDermott and Paris Webster will continue their athletic and academic careers at USC Aiken beginning this fall.

Baker is a 5-11 forward from Kettering, Ohio. The Kettering Fairmont H.S., product was a two-time first-team all-GWOC selection. Baker picked up MVCC Player of the Year honors and first-team MVCC accolades. An all-Ohio Special Mention honoree, she was also selected to the Southwest Ohio second team. The two-time District 15 all-star selection garnered SW Ohio honorable mention accolades her junior season. She averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 boards a game as a junior. As a freshman, Baker guided her team to the district title and a No. 1 ranking in the GWOC.

"Serena is a versatile forward who can play on the perimeter as well as in the paint," Miller stated. "She has a tremendous work ethic."

Bardonaro is a 5-9 guard from Vandalia, Ohio. An all-state selection as a junior at Vandalia Butler H.S., Bardonaro is a four-time first-team all-conference honoree. She also garnered all-area and all-region honors three times. A Division I all-Ohio honorable mention selection, she was named to the District 9 all-star team. As a junior, Bardonaro netted 19.6 points a game while canning 42.6 percent of her shots from the floor. She led her Dayton Lady Hoopstars to the 2021 Blue Star National Championship.

"Samantha is a combo guard who can shoot it from deep and get to the basket," Miller said. "She has a sense of toughness and is a student of the game."

Harman, a 5-7 guard from Floyd, Va., picked up all-state accolades twice. A three-time first-team all-conference selection, she averaged 13 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals her senior campaign. As a junior, she accounted for 16 points, 6.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game as a junior. Harman posted 3.4 assists a night as a sophomore.

"Destiny is a guard who can do a little bit of everything," Miller stated. "She comes from a basketball family and will do what it takes to help us be successful."

Hikel is a 5-10 forward from Wesley Chapel, Fla. A two-time team MVP at Seffner Christian Academy, she notched 10 points and five rebounds a game as a freshman. Hikel tallied 12 points and seven rebounds a game her sophomore campaign. She registered 7.6 points and 6.1 boards a night her junior campaign.

"Alivia is a strong, athletic forward who is not afraid of banging around in the post," Miller said. "She has a skill set to be able to do some things in the post and on the perimeter."

McDermott is a 5-10 guard/forward from Beecher, Ill. She picked up all-Space Coast first-team accolades as a senior. The first-team all-conference honoree was tabbed the Player of the Year for her district while also garnering Female Athlete Scholar of the Year honors. She spent her first three years at Beecher H.S. where she averaged 14 points, four rebounds and four assists a night. A three-time first-team all-conference honoree, McDermott was named to the Daily Journal all-area squad first team twice. She was Rookie of the Year as a freshman and the Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. McDermott played AAU for Example sports out of Chicago, Ill.

"Morgan is a skilled forward who can score the basketball," Miller stated. "She's a complete player who can do a little bit of everything on both defense and offense. She has a love for the game and always wants to improve."

Webster is a 5-4 guard from Raleigh, N.C. A two-time first-team all-conference performer from Athens Drive H.S., she accounted for 13.4 points, 5.2 steals and 4.8 rebounds a game as a senior. The team MVP tallied 10.3 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 steals and 3.8 boards a contest as a junior. As a sophomore, Webster registered 9.3 points a night. She garnered cum laude honors for graduation and picked up the Health Academy Award.  

"Paris is a quick, athletic guard who has the ability to make her teammates better," Miller said. "She can beat you off the dribble or stop on a dime for a pull-up jumper. She's a very good defensive player who can put pressure on opposing team's ball handler."