Trib HSSN 2024-25 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball preseason breakdown

By: Bill Hartlep
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | 6:52 PM

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A pair of teams will try to defend WPIAL championships this winter in Class 3A girls basketball.

Shady Side Academy captured its first title last season, defeating defending champion Avonworth in the Class 3A title.

Greensburg Central Catholic won the Class 2A crown but was moved up into Class 3A during the PIAA’s latest realignment cycle via the state’s competitive balance formula.

Both teams will again contend for district championships, along with several others in Class 3A.

Here is a rundown of players to watch, top 5 teams and other notables in WPIAL 3A girls basketball this season.

Preseason Player of the Year

Oumou “Mimi” Thiero, Quaker Valley

6-5, junior, G/F

19.4 ppg last season

Players to watch

Skyler Gates, Brownsville

6-4, jr., C/F, 17.7 ppg

Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic

5-10, jr., G, 19.4 ppg

Greta O’Brien, Avonworth

5-8, sr., G, 14.7 ppg

Taylor Schumacher, McGuffey

5-9, sr., G/F, 17.3 ppg

Karis Thomas, Shady Side Academy

5-6, jr., G, 16.1 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. Shady Side Academy (26-3 last season)

The Bulldogs won their first WPIAL championship last season by knocking off defending champion Avonworth in the title game. They then reached the PIAA quarterfinals. Maggie Spell, a third-team all-state selection after averaging 19.8 points for the Bulldogs last season, transferred to Thomas Jefferson in the offseason. But four experienced players return, including junior guard Karis Thomas, who averaged 16.1 points in earning all-section honors. Guards Leah Burford and Cam Capel and center Cassie Sauer also return.

2. Greensburg Central Catholic (23-7)

Greensburg Central Catholic reached the state semifinals the past two seasons and captured the WPIAL Class 2A title a year ago. The Centurions return junior guard Erica Gribble, who was a first-team all-state selection in Class 2A after averaging 19.4 ppg. She has nearly 20 Division I offers, including Villanova, Robert Morris, George Washington, Saint Joseph and Buffalo, among others. GCC lost all-section guard Mya Morgan (13.2 ppg) to graduation but will try to reach the WPIAL playoffs for the 25th straight season. Junior guard Jayla Peterson and junior forward Abby Dlugos also return.

3. Avonworth (24-3)

Senior guard Greta O’Brien returns after earning all-section honors and averaging nearly 15 points in helping the Lopes reach the WPIAL final. Avonworth won the Section 2 title at 10-0 and went on to reach the PIAA quarterfinals. All-section forward Rebecca Goetz graduated, but the Lopes return seniors Anna Bradley, Sydney Savatt and Emma Obersteiner.

4. OLSH (17-10)

After finishing in a tie for second in Section 2 and advancing to the WPIAL quarterfinals and PIAA tournament last season, OLSH moves to Section 1 this year. Senior all-section guard Claudia Ierullo (14.0 ppg), a Slippery Rock commit, returns.

5. Keystone Oaks (18-8)

The Golden Eagles were runners-up in Section 2 last season and advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals and PIAA tournament. Guard Bailey Rieg (14.7) graduated after earning all-section honors.

Notable

• Class 3A changed from four sections to three with 23 teams, down from 24. New Brighton and Sto-Rox (Section 1), Greensburg Central Catholic and Steel Valley (Section 2) and Washington (Section 3) moved up.

Quaker Valley dropped and will play in Section 1, along with OLSH, which moved over from Section 2.

Deer Lakes, Ligonier Valley and Shady Side Academy slid into Section 2 from 3, and a new Section 3 was formed.

• Quaker Valley (5-16), which dropped down from 4A, features one of the most dynamic players in the WPIAL in junior Oumou “Mimi” Thiero, a 6-5 guard/forward who averaged 19.4 ppg last season. Thiero was a third-team all-state selection last season who has received nearly 50 NCAA Division I college offers, including North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Clemson and Miami, along with Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris and many more. She is ranked 55th nationally by ESPN W for the Class of 2026.

• Beaver Falls (16-9) reached WPIAL semifinals last season and returns senior guard Dreaven Hasins, an all-section player who averaged 9.0 points.

• Deer Lakes (4-17) will try to bounce back after going 0-10 in section play behind new head coach Dana Petruska, who owns a 518-325 career record after previous stints with Mars and the Lancers.

• Waynesburg (20-3) won the Section 4 title last season but lost four starters to graduation. Peyton Cowell returns, along with key reserve Avery Davis, who averaged 9.4 ppg.

• Seton LaSalle (16-11) graduated first-team all-state guard Mallory Daly (23.8), who is now playing at Buffalo. The Rebels were WPIAL semifinalists last season and should contend in Section 3.

• McGuffey (14-8) will try to return to the playoffs behind all-section senior guard/forward Taylor Schumacher (17.3 ppg).

• Brownsville (12-10), a playoff team a year ago, will lean on junior center/forward Skyler Gates, a 6-4 Virginia volleyball commit who averaged 17.7 ppg.

Alignment

Section 1: Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Mohawk, New Brighton, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Quaker Valley, Riverside, Sto-Rox

Section 2: Avonworth, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Greensburg Central Catholic, Ligonier Valley, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, Steel Valley

Section 3: Brownsville, Charleroi, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Seton LaSalle, Washington, Waynesburg

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.