Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for Feb. 17, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Monday, February 17, 2025 | 11:12 PM

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Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week – Greta O’Brien

School: Avonworth

Class: Senior

Height: 5-foot-9

Position: Guard

#Earned: Whether it was ending the regular season at the start of the week or starting the postseason at the end of the week, Greta O’Brien was a dominant force who would not be denied. The Avonworth senior guard concluded her final regular season Monday by scoring 29 points in a sixth consecutive win for the Antelopes as they beat Fox Chapel, 63-41. In the first round of the 2025 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball playoffs Friday, O’Brien continued her hot shooting ways by scoring a career-high 33 points as No. 6 Avonworth advanced to the district quarterfinals with a 67-35 victory over No. 11 Beaver Falls.

Background: O’Brien will not be playing basketball at the next level as she will be attending Penn State. She hopes to play some intermural hoops while in school at State College. In the win over Fox Chapel, O’Brien went over the 1,500 career point mark and now sits in second place on the Avonworth girls basketball all-time scoring list, trailing only Kelly Costa. For her senior season, she is 14 points shy of 500 and is averaging 21.1 points per game. O’Brien was also a member of the ‘Lopes girls soccer team that lost in the first round of the district playoffs this past fall. As a sophomore, O’Brien scored 10 points and had seven rebounds in the Antelopes’ WPIAL 3A championship game win over Laurel, 48-40. Last winter, in the district title game at The Pete, she scored 14 points but the Antelopes lost to Shady Side Academy, 52-45. She is the youngest of three daughters and claims she is not spoiled, but admits her two older sisters would disagree.

What coach says: “Her overall impact on the game,” Avonworth coach Nick Dizon said when asked about O’Brien’s game against Fox Chapel. “In addition to 29 points, she also had 13 rebounds, six steals and five assists. She impacts every aspect of the game each and every night.

“Greta’s ability to make adjustments and be coachable,” Dizon said about O’Brien’s game against Beaver Falls. “She had 14 (points) at halftime but was missing shots early on. She talked with assistant coach Julie Tullar at halftime and coach helped her make an adjustment. She then had 19 of her 33 points in the second half.”

“Greta’s motor is what makes her unique,” Dizon said. “She is relentless and gives 100% each and every time she steps on the floor for games and practices. I recognized this my very first day on the job at Avonworth, and it’s been consistent ever since. It’s a character trait of hers as she is like this in the classroom as well. It is a privilege to coach a kid like Greta.”

“She has improved her shooting percentages across the board and has increased her assists as well,” Dizon said about her senior season. “She has also grown as a leader throughout this season. To sum it up, I’d say her game has matured as she has become more efficient in all aspects.”

“Greta’s legacy at Avonworth will be more about the person she is, not the player,” Dizon said. “She is a relentless competitor on the court but one of the kindest kids you will meet off of the court. She does a great job working with our youth program and represents the school district in a very positive light. The qualities that will make her successful in life have also made her one of the best to ever put on a Lady Lope uniform. Greta’s impact on the Avonworth girls basketball program will be remembered for years to come. It has truly been a blessing to coach Greta for the last three years.”

2025 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 6 – Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union

Week 5 – Aubree Hupp, Blackhawk

Week 4 – Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic

Week 3 – Rylee Kalocay, Upper St. Clair

Week 2 – Iyanna Wade, Clairton

Week 1 – Oumou “Mimi” Thiero, Quaker Valley

Tags: Avonworth