WPIAL girls basketball Class 6A season preview for 2025-26

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Friday, November 28, 2025 | 6:01 AM

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Class 6A girls basketball in the WPIAL could be in for a changing of the guard this season.

Upper St. Clair has reached the finals four of the last five years, including a championship in 2025. Norwin has been in the last two finals, winning the title in 2024.

But when the Panthers and Knights met for the championship at the Petersen Events Center in March, eight of the 10 starters on the floor were seniors.

That kind of turnover could leave the door open for new blood.

Seneca Valley, for instance, has never played for a championship since the WPIAL went to six classes in 2017, but the Raiders went 10-0 in Section 1 last year and bring back one of the league’s top players in guard Natalie Hambly.

Pine-Richland, likewise, has never played for a WPIAL Class 6A title but brings back the class’s top returning scorer in post player Cate Gentile.

Writing off top programs like Upper St. Clair and Norwin just because of graduation losses is probably foolish, of course. This year’s playoff brackets could very well end up looking a lot like last year’s.

But the possibility of parity is an exciting notion in November, letting championship dreams take hold from Canonsburg to Cranberry.

Here is a rundown of players to watch, top 5 teams and other notables in WPIAL 6A girls basketball this season.

Preseason Player of the Year

Cate Gentile, Pine-Richland

6-1, senior, forward

18.2 ppg last season

Players to watch

Vange Balouris, North Allegheny

5-9, senior, guard

13.5 ppg last season

Lauren Borella, Canon-McMillan

5-8, senior, guard

11.5 ppg last season

Madison Clair, Canon-McMillan

5-11, senior, forward

11.8 ppg last season

Natalie Hambly, Seneca Valley

5-8, senior, guard

14.2 ppg last season

Ryan Prunzik, Upper St. Clair

5-6, senior, guard

6.0 ppg last season

Preseason Top 5

1. Seneca Valley (15-7 last season)

The Raiders won a section title for the first time in 48 years last season and they’re back for more. Senior guard Natalie Hambly, a Pitt-Johnstown recruit, is the top scoring threat in the backcourt. The Raiders have a slick mix of size and athleticism, led by 5-foot-10 senior Brooke Dufford and 6-foot sophomore Reece McFadden, who showed glimpses of big-time potential as a freshman.

2. Canon-McMillan (16-10 last season)

The Big Macs might have the most formidable senior class in 6A. Madison Clair, a West Virginia Wesleyan recruit, is a bona fide big-game scorer. Lauren Borella, a West Liberty commit, is a proven winner too, as is Washington & Jefferson recruit Sam Miller. Canon-McMillan’s scoring depth should give opponents fits.

3. Pine-Richland (7-16 last season)

Hard to believe the Rams haven’t played for a WPIAL title in girls basketball since 1998. This year could change that. All-around athlete Cate Gentile is Class 6A’s leading returning scorer. Rebekah Shaffer is a 6-2 sophomore with skills. Mia LeDonne is back after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

4. Upper St. Clair (23-7 last season)

The defending champs lost a large and talented senior class, led by Kent State’s Rylee Kalocay, and coach Pete Serio stepped down. Sounds like a rebuild is coming, right? Probably not. Suzie McConnell-Serio, WPIAL legend and Pete’s wife, stepped in for what looks like the most seamless coaching transition in history. And terrific senior point guard Ryan Prunzik will lead the next generation of Panthers into battle.

5. North Allegheny (9-14 last season)

Playing under their second coach in as many years since Spencer Stefko stepped away, the Tigers have plenty of returning talent for veteran bench boss Jill Capozzi to work with. Vange Balouris and Rosalia Varlotta are returning double-digit scorers, and Cate Pingpank and Rae Shanahan are 6-footers in the paint.

Notable

• Norwin could have easily been included in the preseason top five. The Knights will miss their graduated seniors greatly, but returning starter Ava Christopher has a playoff resume that is the envy of every player in Class 6A, and a crop of promising new headliners — senior Kylie Rodkey and junior Liz Yarosik to name two — can carry the torch.

• In what is a theme in 6A this season, Butler graduated a deep, talented senior class led by 1,000-point scorer Amelia McMichael. Point guard Malina McElroy is a player to watch.

• North Hills has a crew of promising young players in the pipeline. Guard Zoe Devlin already made a varsity impact as a freshman last year.

• Twins Payton and Riley Collins will be irreplaceable, of course, but juniors Anessa Donoghue and Cali Green could lead the next wave for veteran coach Mark “Knobby” Walsh.

• Hempfield suffered a body blow when Mads Pevarnik, last year’s assists leader, was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The Spartans do return starter Ava Shipman and experienced contributors Gabby Coccia and Reagan Fisher.

• The top four teams in each section qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

Alignment

Section 1: Butler, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Woodland Hills

Section 2: Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Upper St. Clair

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

Tags: Butler, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Hempfield, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, North Hills, Norwin, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills