Meet the inaugural PUP girls basketball all-star team

The dust finally has settled on another fantastic high school basketball season, with three teams bringing state championships back home to Western Pennsylvania this weekend.

Now that the season is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start handing out some hardware while honoring some of the best players the area had to offer during the 2022-23 campaign. For the first time, the Pittsburgh Union Progress has created a trio of all-star teams for boys and girls, akin to the All-NBA teams released by the league at season’s end.

Of course, narrowing down the top players in the area to only 15 boys and 15 girls is quite the undertaking and one we didn’t take lightly. And although there were several players worthy of consideration who didn’t quite make the final cut, we at the PUP feel confident that every player selected deserved to be mentioned among the best of the best.

All players in the WPIAL and City League were considered, and the team was picked by the PUP sports staff along with help from high school coaches. This could be the first and only all-star team of its kind, so the bragging rights that come with it will last a lifetime.

First Team

Mairan Haggerty • Neshannock • 6-1 • Senior • Guard-Forward

A two-time all-state selection, this multifaceted playmaker led the Lancers to an 18-win season after capturing back-to-back WPIAL titles as a sophomore and junior. Haggerty scored in a variety of ways, averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.1 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. She scored a personal-best 37 points in a 72-55 win against Laurel on Jan. 30, then set a career high with a 40-point outburst in a 73-29 win against Charleroi in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. This Seton Hill recruit finished her career with 1,587 points, compiling a career record of 77-25 with two WPIAL titles and one PIAA championship.

Rylee Kalocay • Upper St. Clair • 5-9 • Sophomore • Guard

One of the biggest breakout stars of the 2022-23 season, Kalocay asserted herself as the Panthers’ go-to scorer despite playing in a lineup featuring four four-year starters. Kalocay averaged 20 points per game while shooting 88% from the free-throw line, guiding Upper St. Clair to the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. She helped the Panthers reach the WPIAL title game while finishing with a record of 23-4, then scored 30 and 25 points in back-to-back wins against McDowell and Pennsbury in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs. Kalocay has scholarship offers from Quinnipiac and La Salle.

Alayna Rocco • North Catholic • 5-11 • Junior • Guard

An elite sharpshooter with a polished all-around game, Rocco led the Trojanettes to their second consecutive WPIAL title and a 25-win season despite moving up from Class 3A to 4A. This Harvard recruit averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 85% from the free-throw line. She surpassed 1,000 points for her career, but Rocco is known as a winner above all else. In her first three seasons at North Catholic, Rocco has guided the Trojanettes to a combined record of 65-13 with three WPIAL championship appearances and two titles.

Jasmine Timmerson • North Allegheny • 5-7 • Senior • Guard

A four-year starter for the Tigers with three WPIAL titles and a PIAA championship to her name, there aren’t many players who can say they enjoyed a more decorated high school career than Timmerson. As a senior, this Pitt recruit led North Allegheny with an average of 16.4 points to go with 6.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 steals per game. She saved her best for the biggest stage, lighting up Upper St. Clair for a 30-point performance in the Tigers’ blowout win in the WPIAL Class 6A championship. Timmerson finished her career with an overall record of 94-14, including a mark of 17-3 in the postseason.

Maddie Webber • South Fayette • 5-11 • Senior • Guard

One of the top all-around players in the state, Webber was the driving force behind the Lions’ run to back-to-back WPIAL Class 5A titles and a trip to the PIAA championship game. This Villanova recruit averaged 17.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game, but her impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. Webber forever etched her name in WPIAL lore with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from way beyond the arc in a 40-37 PIAA quarterfinal win against mighty Cathedral Prep, then scored 24 points with another clutch, late-game 3 in a 58-54 win against Oakland Catholic to send South Fayette to the state title game. Webber finished her legendary high school career with 1,387 points.

Second Team

Shaye Bailey • Freedom • 5-7 • Junior • Guard

One of the most heralded multisport athletes in the area, Bailey took her game to a new level after helping the Bulldogs reach the WPIAL and PIAA finals as a sophomore. Bailey scored a school-record 51 points in a win against Aliquippa in February to surpass the 1,000-point mark for her career, averaging 21.6 points, 4.8 steals and 4.2 rebounds per game before a broken collarbone cut her season short just before the playoffs.

Quinn Borroni • Blackhawk • 5-10 • Senior • Guard-Forward

Like Bailey, Borroni suffered a season-ending injury just before the start of the postseason, but she still did enough to help the Cougars earn the No. 1 seed for the WPIAL playoffs after guiding them to a WPIAL Class 4A title as a junior. This Mercyhurst recruit did a little bit of everything for Blackhawk, averaging 11 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2 assists per game.

Rachael Manfredo • McKeesport • 5-11 • Junior • Guard-Forward

A consistent and versatile talent for the Tigers, Manfredo averaged a double-double for the season with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks per game. A top-notch defender capable of playing both inside and outside, Manfredo helped lead McKeesport to a record of 23-6 along with trips to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals.

Iyanna Wade • Clairton • 5-4 • Sophomore • Guard

Always one of the smallest players on the court, Wade never lets her size stop her from stuffing the stat sheet. She erupted for a career-high 50 points in a 70-32 win against Steel Valley in January and led the WPIAL in scoring in the regular season by a wide margin, finishing with an average of 33.3 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

Alexa Washington • Oakland Catholic • 5-7 • Senior • Guard

A quick and athletic guard with a smooth shooting touch, Washington spearheaded the Eagles’ resurgence en route to a 25-win season that included trips to the WPIAL Class 5A title game and the PIAA semifinals. This North Florida recruit averaged a team-high 16.3 points and 3.5 steals per game while finishing with 1,271 points for her career.

Third Team

Kelly Cleaver • Union • 6-0 • Junior • Forward

A key contributor during the Scotties’ surge to the WPIAL and PIAA Class 1A titles, Cleaver came up big in big moments all season long while averaging 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks per game. She scored 14 points and grabbed nine boards in Union’s WPIAL championship triumph against Aquinas Academy, then tallied 12 points and nine rebounds in the Scotties’ state championship win against Lourdes Regional.

Eve Fiala • Indiana • 6-5 • Senior • Forward

One of the most intimidating post players the WPIAL has seen in recent years, Fiala patrolled the paint and protected the rim all year long for the Little Indians, who finished 15-8 and won the Class 5A Section 1 title. A Dayton recruit, Fiala averaged 14.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 54.1% from the field.

Dacia Lewandowski • North Catholic • 5-11 • Senior • Guard

An integral piece of the Trojanettes’ dynasty over the past four years, Lewandowski helped North Catholic win its second consecutive WPIAL title despite missing about a month of the season with an ankle injury. A two-time all-section selection, this Akron recruit averaged 10.9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals per game.

Meghan Murray • Hampton • 5-5 • Junior • Guard

A dynamic point guard with the ability to score in a variety of ways, Murray helped steer the Talbots to a 15-win season while finishing as one of the top scorers in Class 5A. Murray, who has a scholarship offer from Mercyhurst, averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game for Hampton.

Natalie Wetzel • Peters Township • 6-3 • Sophomore • Forward

An acclaimed prospect whose scholarship offers include Pitt, Arizona State, Kent State and Davidson, Wetzel proved to be well worth the hype during a breakout sophomore campaign. She dominated inside to the tune of 18.6 points, 8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks per game, firmly establishing herself as one of the WPIAL’s top players to watch over the next two seasons.