2023 WPIAL girls basketball postseason outlook

Here’s a look at the WPIAL girls basketball playoffs, which begin Thursday and conclude March 2-4 at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.

CLASS 6A

Defending champion: Mt. Lebanon.

No. 1 seed: Upper St. Clair.

Player to watch: Jasmine Timmerson, North Allegheny. The senior point guard and Pitt recruit is the fearless leader on a team that has won WPIAL titles in four of the past six seasons. Timmerson averages a team-best 16.4 points a game and is an outstanding passer. She was superb Saturday, even in a three-point loss to Class 5A South Fayette.

Sleeper: While it’s hard to imagine one of the top four seeds not winning the title (Upper St. Clair, North Allegheny, Norwin, Mt. Lebanon), you just never know. The pick here is No. 5-seeded Chartiers Valley. Sure, this is a much different squad than the ones that led the Colts to gold medals in three of the past four seasons, but guards Ella Cupka and Lilah Turnbull saw time last season, and sophomore guard Emma Reynolds (14 ppg) has had a breakout season. And don’t sleep on Peters Township, either. Junior guard Gemma Walker (19.9 ppg) and sophomore forward Natalie Wetzel (19.3 ppg) are two of the area’s top scorers. Wetzel has an offer from Pitt.

Best quarterfinal game: Mt. Lebanon vs. Chartiers Valley.

The lowdown: It’s the final WPIAL playoff run for Upper St. Clair’s talented senior class, which is led by 6-foot-1 forward and Marist recruit Kate Robbins. The Panthers have not won a WPIAL title since 2008, but came close the past two seasons when they finished as the runner-up. Will coach Pete Serio’s bunch break through this time? Winners of 13 games in a row, the Panthers also have one of the WPIAL’s top sophomores in guard Rylee Kalocay (19.6 ppg), the team’s leading scorer. … North Allegheny and Norwin tied for the Section 1 title after splitting regular-season matchups (a 21-point Norwin win and a 7-point North Allegheny win). Norwin gives up only 33.2 points a game, fewest of any team in the two largest classes. North Allegheny had won eight games in a row prior to the South Fayette loss. … Mt. Lebanon has two starters back from last year’s championship team, as well as one of the WPIAL’s top perimeter shooters in sophomore guard Payton Collins.

Championship picks: Upper St. Clair (Brad Everett), Upper St. Clair (Steve Rotstein).

CLASS 5A

Defending champion: South Fayette.

No. 1 seed: South Fayette.

Player to watch: Maddie Webber, South Fayette. When the “Webber Grill,” umm, we mean Webber girl, heats up, watch out. A senior guard and Villanova recruit, Webber (17.3 ppg) can score inside and out and is an excellent defender. She scored a team-high 17 points in the 2022 WPIAL championship.

Sleeper: Indiana. One thing is for sure: No team has a frontcourt as imposing as No. 6 Indiana, which features 6-5 senior Eve Fiala and 6-3 senior Katie Kovalchick. Fiala is a Dayton recruit and Kovalchick a Washington & Jefferson recruit. Fiala recently has been especially outstanding, averaging 25 points in Indiana’s past three games. Junior guard Bella Antonacci is a good outside shooter and guard Jayla Peterson is one of the top freshmen in Class 5A.

Best first-round game: Mars vs. Lincoln Park.

The lowdown: When South Fayette defeated three-time defending champion Chartiers Valley to win the 2022 title, it was considered a huge surprise. If the Lions repeat, it definitely would not be. Webber and 6-3 center Ava Leroux give the Lions one of the most talented inside-outside tandems in the WPIAL. Leroux is an Elon recruit. Junior guard Lainey Yater has been another key player for the Lions, whose only losses are to Class 6A Norwin and St. Thomas Aquinas of New Jersey. … Oakland Catholic had won 17 consecutive games before losing Saturday to North Catholic. Under first-year coach Eddie Benton, the Eagles average a WPIAL-best 65.5 points per game. Senior guard Alexa Washington (15.6 ppg), the team’s leading scorer, is a North Florida recruit. … Junior guard-forward Rachel Manfredo and junior guard Brooke Evans could carry McKeesport a long way. The Tigers’ four losses were against Oakland Catholic (twice), South Fayette and Blackhawk. … Section 2 co-champion Armstrong comes in red hot, having won six games in a row. Junior guard Emma Paul averages 17.7 points.

Championship picks: South Fayette (Brad Everett), South Fayette (Steve Rotstein).

CLASS 4A

Defending champion: Blackhawk.

No. 1 seed: Blackhawk.

Player to watch: Alayna Rocco, North Catholic. Rocco has been rock solid for the Trojanettes. A junior guard and Harvard recruit, Rocco has pumped in a team-high 17.1 points a game and already has surpassed 1,000 career points. She scored 20 points in North Catholic’s impressive win Saturday against Class 5A Oakland Catholic.

Sleeper: Knoch. The Knights have shown in recent seasons that they are capable of long playoff runs. They reached the WPIAL semifinals in 2021 and lost to Blackhawk in the 2022 title game. The Knights have lost only three times this calendar year (twice to North Catholic, once to Class 6A Pine-Richland) and surrender only 38.5 points a game.

Best first-round game: Belle Vernon vs. Greensburg Salem.

The lowdown: If top seeds North Catholic and Blackhawk each reach the final, we will get a rare matchup of defending champions. North Catholic claimed the Class 3A title a year ago. The Trojanettes have won titles in five of the past six seasons and a record-21 overall. Junior guard Ava Walker pairs with Rocco to give coach Molly Rottmann a dynamic one-two punch. The Trojanettes are riding a 13-game win streak. … Blackhawk boasts junior guard Alena Fusetti (17.5 ppg) and senior guard-forward Quinn Borroni. The Cougars aren’t as prolific of a 3-point shooting team as they are most seasons, but they play outstanding defense. They give up only 32 points per game, second-fewest in the class. … How good is Elizabeth Forward? That’s something we will soon find out. The Warriors have been flying under the radar despite not dropping a game in Section 3 and ripping off eight wins in a row. They have quality non-section wins against Class 5A Trinity (15-6) and Class 2A Greensburg Central Catholic (18-4). … Quaker Valley has the talent to make some noise. Nora Johns is a standout senior guard and Mimi Thiero a promising 6-3 freshman center.

Championship picks: North Catholic (Brad Everett), Blackhawk (Steve Rotstein).

CLASS 3A

Defending champion: North Catholic.

No. 1 seed: Shady Side Academy.

Player to watch: Mairan Haggerty, Neshannock. Haggerty is a 6-1 senior guard and two-time all-state pick who ranks among the WPIAL’s scoring leaders at 22.3 points per game. The Seton Hill recruit helped lead Neshannock to the WPIAL Class 2A title and its first PIAA title a season ago. Haggerty had 23 points (including four 3-pointers) and 12 rebounds in Neshannock’s win Saturday against Aliquippa.

Sleeper: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The OLSH boys have gotten a lot of attention the past few seasons due to their state-record winning streak, but the girls team is strong as well. Senior guards Kyleigh Nagy and Mia Grisafi each started on the 2022 team that fell to Neshannock in the WPIAL Class 2A championship. The Chargers have won four games in a row while limiting three of those four opponents to 30 points or fewer.

Best first-round game: Waynesburg vs. Seton LaSalle.

The lowdown: Neshannock fell to 9-6 after a loss Jan. 19 to Lincoln Park, but the Lancers since have caught fire. Their current nine-game win streak was highlighted by a 72-55 victory against Laurel that earned the Lancers a share of the section title. Haggerty and fellow seniors Megan Pallerino and Aaralyn Nogay started on last year’s PIAA championship squad. … Laurel has lost just twice. In addition to falling to Neshannock in the second meeting between the teams this season (Laurel won the first, 59-35), the Spartans also dropped a non-section matchup to Class 5A Mars in the season opener. Led by senior guard Regan Atkins, the Spartans also own strong non-section wins against Class 2A Freedom and Class 1A Union. … How far can star freshmen guards Maggie Spell (22.3 ppg) and Karis Thomas (17.2) carry Shady Side Academy? Both have been terrific this season for second-year coach Jonna Burke, who guided Bethel Park to a WPIAL title in 2013 and picked up her 500th career win this season. … Avonworth edged OLSH for the Section 3 title and enters the playoffs on an eight-game win streak. The Antelopes are led by sophomore guard Greta O’Brien (15.5 ppg). … Keep an eye on Waynesburg, which just last season reached the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. The Section 4 champs have won eight of their past nine games and boast junior guard Kaley Rohanna (16.6 ppg).

Championship picks: Neshannock (Brad Everett), Neshannock (Steve Rotstein).

CLASS 2A

Defending champion: Neshannock.

No. 1 seed: Shenango.

Player to watch: Shaye Bailey, Freedom. The four-sport star (soccer, basketball, softball and track) leads all Class 2A players in scoring (22.3 ppg) and poured in a school record 51 points against Aliquippa a week ago, when the junior guard also surpassed 1,000 points for her career. She will be the main defensive focus of any of Freedom’s playoff opponents.

Sleeper: Clairton. Will the Bears win their first title in 21 years? As the No. 9 seed, the odds are against them, but they have the WPIAL’s leading scorer on their side. Sophomore guard Iyanna Wade is only 5-4, but she’s extremely difficult to guard due to her speed and athleticism. She averages 33.2 points a game and scored a career-high 50 against Steel Valley.

Best first-round game: Brentwood vs. Clairton.

The lowdown: If Freedom wins a WPIAL title, it will be the program’s first. The Bulldogs nearly did it last season when they advanced to the WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A championships. In addition to Bailey, the Bulldogs have another exceptional multi-sport star in senior forward Julz Mohrbacher, who has several triple-doubles this season. … Freedom shared the Section 1 title with Shenango, which is also aiming to win its first WPIAL title. The Wildcats have won nine games in a row and own victories against Freedom and Neshannock. … Serra Catholic and Greensburg Central Catholic are Section 3 co-champs and could make long runs. The two have been winning in different ways, as Serra has the No. 1 scoring defense in the WPIAL (27.9 ppg) and Greensburg Central Catholic has the No. 1 scoring offense in Class 2A (58.6). … Burgettstown (Section 2) and Washington (Section 4) each navigated their section schedules without losing. Washington has won 11 games in a row.

Championship picks: Freedom (Brad Everett), Freedom (Steve Rotstein).

CLASS 1A

Defending champion: Bishop Canevin.

No. 1 seed: Union.

Player to watch: Kelly Cleaver, Union. Cleaver continues to be sharp for the Scotties. A 6-0 junior forward, Cleaver averages a team-best 15.5 points and has been tough on the boards as well. She will need to be at her best if Union is to make history by winning its first WPIAL title.

Sleeper: Aquinas Academy. It’s difficult to project a championship run from anyone other than the top four seeds, but Aquinas Academy is 14-8 and finished third in Class 1A’s strongest section behind co-champions Union and Bishop Canevin. The Crusaders played both teams twice, and despite losing all of those games, the most lopsided defeat was only by 12 points. The Crusaders advanced to the championship as a No. 4 seed a year ago.

Best first-round game: West Greene vs. Leechburg.

The lowdown: The Union-Bishop Canevin rivalry has been a good one the past two seasons, and it won’t be a surprise if those two teams meet in the final. A season ago, Bishop Canevin, as a No. 7 seed, upset No. 3 Union in the semifinals before going on to win the title. The two then split two meetings this season, with Bishop Canevin winning by one and Union topping the Crusaders Jan. 30 by 29 in the rematch. Union has won nine consecutive games. … St. Joseph pulled an absolute stunner in last year’s playoffs when it upset No. 1 seed and three-time defending champion Rochester in the quarterfinals. A year later, St. Joseph is 18-3 and owns the No. 1 scoring offense (49.3 ppg) and No. 1 scoring defense (30.6) in the classification. Junior guard-forward Julie Spinelli (18.8 ppg) ranked second in Class 1A in scoring in the regular season. … It has been 17 years since Monessen won a title, but the Greyhounds (15-5) could make a run despite not having any seniors. The Greyhounds had won 13 consecutive games before losing Saturday at Washington. 

Championship picks: Union (Brad Everett), Union (Steve Rotstein).