Twenty-one WPIAL girls basketball players and two from the City League were named to the 2024-25 Pennsylvania sports writers all-state girls basketball team Thursday, including nine first-team honorees.
In addition, Clairton senior guard Iyanna Wade was named the Class A Player of the Year, and South Fayette’s Bryan Bennett was named the Class 5A Coach of the Year.
Wade averaged 38.8 points this past season to lead the WPIAL in scoring for a third straight year and helped Clairton (19-6) reach the WPIAL finals for the first time in more than two decades.
“My highlight (this year) has to be going down to The Pete,” Wade said. “To play and just to get that experience and to make history after 20 years was great.”
Wade is one of only four girls basketball players in district history to eclipse 3,000 career points and finished as the No. 2 all-time scorer in the WPIAL with 3,119 points.
She also has the WPIAL record for most points in a game with 65.
“I don’t have the time yet to think about my growth and how I did the past couple years,” Wade said. “But the more accolades I get, the more it sinks in.”
Bennett was honored after leading South Fayette to a PIAA championship.
“I thought we had the potential to be good this year,” Bennett said. “I didn’t know how good we would be in November. We had a lot of young kids that were going to be asked to fill big roles. The entire team worked so hard at practice each day to get better and push each other.”
South Fayette won the Section 3-5A championship, reached the WPIAL finals for the fourth straight season and earned a trip to Hershey to compete in the PIAA title game for the second time in three years.
“The biggest key to our success was how unselfish the kids played and how much they really supported each other as a team,” Bennett said.
The Lions were trying to win a fourth straight WPIAL championship, but the top seed was upended in the district finals by Peters Township.
However, South Fayette rolled past Lower Dauphin, West York and Hollidaysburg in the PIAA playoffs to set up a rematch with Peters Township.
The Lions avenged their loss to the Indians by winning 50-36, then they got revenge in the state finals by beating Archbishop Wood, 45-37, two years after the Vikings beat them in Hershey.
“The biggest takeaway from our season was how we followed our only two losses,” Bennett said of his team’s 29-2 campaign. “The loss in Florida (to St. Mary’s of New York) was the first time we faced adversity this season. The next day we played (Folsom, Calif.) and I was unsure how the kids would respond.
“They did such a great job of putting that game behind them but also learning from their mistakes and we pulled out a tough win. After the loss to Peters in the WPIAL championship, the kids came to practice so focused and determined to improve and make a run at the state championship.”
The WPIAL players to be named first-team all-state were senior Rylee Kalocay of Upper St. Clair in 6A; senior Natalie Wetzel of Peters Township in 5A; junior Aubree Hupp of Blackhawk in 4A; juniors Erica Gribble of Greensburg Central Catholic, Oumou ‘Mimi’ Thiero of Quaker Valley and Karis Thomas of Shady Side Academy in 3A; and senior Kylie Fruehstorfer of Union, junior Emma Larkin of Geibel Catholic and Wade in Class A.
District 7 girls basketball players named second-team all-state include South Fayette junior Ryan Oldaker and Juliette Leroux and senior Greta O’Brien of Avonworth.
The third-team all-state selections from the WPIAL were junior Maggie Spell of Thomas Jefferson and senior Natalia Schaffer of Fox Chapel in 5A; sophomore Annsley Baker of Beaver in 4A; senior Claudia Ierullo of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and juniors Cassie Sauer of Shady Side Academy and Skyler Gates of Brownsville in 3A; Aliquippa seniors Carla Brown and Aunesty Johnson in 2A; and freshman Bella Dumbroski of Serra Catholic in Class A.
The two players from the City League who made third-team all-state were junior Bailey White of Allderdice in 6A and senior Taylor Phillips of Obama Academy in 5A.
Here is the complete rundown of the girls basketball all-state teams as chosen by sports writers across the state:
CLASS 6A
Player of the Year: Grace Galbavy, Perkiomen Valley
Coach of the Year: John Russo, Perkiomen Valley
First Team
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Grace Galbavy, Perkiomen Valley, 6-1, Sr., forward
Molly Rullo, Cardinal O’Hara, 5-11, Sr., guard
Alexis Eberz, Archbishop Carroll, 5-11, Jr., guard
Kailah Correa, Lebanon, 5-4, Sr., guard
Rylee Kalocay, Upper St. Clair, 5-9, Sr., guard
Second Team
Quinn Boettinger, Perkiomen Valley, 6-3, Sr., center
Haylie Adamski, Garnet Valley, 6-0, Sr., forward
Rian Dotsey, Haverford, 6-2, Sr., forward
Bella Bacani, Perkiomen Valley, 5-6, Sr., point guard
Kaitlyn Bindas, Hazleton Area, 5-6, So., guard
Third Team
Ella Brown, Pennridge, 5-8, Sr., guard
Bailey White, Allderdice, 5-4, Jr., guard
Ryann Jennings, Conestoga, 5-11, Jr., guard
Maya Simmons, Cheltenham, 5-9, Jr., guard
Bella Super, Governor Mifflin, 5-7, So., guard
CLASS 5A
Player of the Year: Ryan Carter, Archbishop Wood
Coach of the Year: Bryan Bennett, South Fayette
First Team
Ryan Carter, Archbishop Wood, 5-11, So., guard
Natalie Wetzel, Peters Township, 6-3, Sr., forward
Addie Biel, Cathedral Prep, 6-2, Sr., center
Emily Knouse, Archbishop Wood, 6-0, Sr., guard
Daniella Ranieli, Pittston Area, 5-3, Sr. guard
Second Team
Lily Fatool, Shikellamy, 5-7, Jr., guard
Ryan Oldaker, South Fayette, 5-10, Jr., guard
Juliette Leroux, South Fayette, 5-11, Jr., guard
Samantha Griebel, Punxsutawney, 5-7, Sr., guard
Jayla Koser, Middletown, 5-11, Jr., guard
Third Team
Maggie Spell, Thomas Jefferson, 5-10, Jr., guard
Bella Vent, Hollidaysburg, 5-6, Sr., guard
Jackie Gallagher, Crestwood, 5-9, So., guard
Taylor Phillips, Obama Academy, 5-7, Sr., guard
Natalia Schaffer, Fox Chapel, 5-8, Sr., forward
CLASS 4A
Player of the Year: Shayla Smith, Audenried Charter
Coach of the Year: Tom Lonergan, Lansdale Catholic
First Team
Shayla Smith, Audenried Charter, 5-10, Sr., guard
Aubree Hupp, Blackhawk, 5-10, Jr., forward
Peyton Dincher, Jersey Shore, 6-1, Sr. guard
Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing, 6-1, Sr., forward
Carryn Easley, Neumann-Goretti, 5-4, Sr., guard
Second Team
Katie Boal, Franklin, 6-4, Sr., center
Sanyiah Littlejohn, Lansdale Catholic, 5-10, Sr., point guard
Amya Scott, Neumann-Goretti, 5-3, Sr., guard
Jenna Hillebrand, Scranton Prep., 5-9, Sr., guard/forward
Megan Jacoby, Delone Catholic, 5-5, Sr., guard
Third Team
Grace McDonough, Lansdale Catholic, 6-2, Sr., forward
Sonny Diehl, Clearfield, 6-0, So., forward
Eve Housley, Somerset, 5-7, Jr., guard
Annsley Baker, Beaver, 5-9, So., guard
Izzie Gamble, Grove City, 5-8, Sr., guard/forward
CLASS 3A
Player of the Year: Alaina Dadzie, Loyalsock
Coach of the Year: Curtis Jacobsen, Loyalsock Township
First Team
Alaina Dadzie, Loyalsock, 6-1, Jr., forward
Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic, 5-11, Jr., guard
Makayla Presser-Palmer, Northwestern, 5-11, Jr., guard
Ava Persichetti, River Valley, 5-9, Sr., guard
Karis Thomas, Shady Side Academy, 5-6, Jr., guard
Oumou ‘Mimi’ Thiero, Quaker Valley, 6-4, Jr., forward
Second Team
Lacey Kriebel, Loyalsock, 6-0, Sr., guard
Sophia Talutto, Dunmore, 5-7, Sr., guard
Sienna Kirsch, Cambria Heights, 5-8, Sr., guard/forward
Janae Patterson, Pequea Valley, 5-6, Jr., guard
Greta O’Brien, Avonworth, 5-8, Sr., guard
Third Team
Cassie Sauer, Shady Side Academy, 6-2, Jr., forward
Alli Anstadt, Hughesville, 6-0, Sr., forward
Ella Wilson, Lake-Lehman, 6-0, Sr., forward
Claudia Ierullo, Our Lady of Sacred Heart, 5-6, Sr., guard
Skyler Gates, Brownsville, 6-4, Jr., forward
Mckenna Runkle, Schuylkill Haven, 5-8, So., forward
CLASS 2A
Player of the Year: Layke Fields, Kennedy Catholic
Coach of the Year: Rachel Prosser, Berlin-Brothersvalley
First Team
Layke Fields, Kennedy Catholic, 6-0, Sr., center/forward
Coral Prosser, Berlin-Brothersvalley, 5-8, So., guard
Mylee Harmon, Redbank Valley, 5-6, Sr., guard
Addison Kilmer, Mountain View, 6-1, Jr., center
Cami Beppler, Bishop McCort Catholic, 5-7, Sr., guard
Second Team
Bella Magestro, Kennedy Catholic, 5-8, Jr., point guard
Lia Krarup, Wilmington, 5-6, Sr., guard
Jewlya McCullon, Old Forge. 5-4, Sr., guard
Addison Haight, Kane, 5-7, Fr., guard
Clara Steinberg, Eisenhower, 5-8, Jr., guard
Third Team
Aunesty Johnson, Aliquippa, 5-8, Sr., guard
Carla Brown, Aliquippa, 5-6, Sr., guard
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Ella Stambaugh, Wyoming Seminary, 6-0, So., forward
Addy Fritz, Marian Catholic, 5-10, Jr., guard/forward
Lilly Gerwert, Bellwood-Antis, 6-1, Jr., center
CLASS A
Player of the Year: Iyanna Wade, Clairton
Coach of the Year: Kristi Kaack, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy
First Team
Iyanna Wade, Clairton, 5-4, Sr., guard
Naomi Crispin, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy, 5-6, Jr., guard
Emma Larkin, Geibel Catholic, 5-5, Jr., guard
Desiree Smucker, Linville Hill Christian, 5-7, Sr., guard
Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union, 5-6, Sr., forward
Second Team
Morgan Ruggery, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy, 5-8, So.
LeeAnna Royer, Williamsburg, 5-7, Jr., guard
Qynne Demler, New Covenant Christian, 5-7, So., guard
Riley Hatzfeld, Our Lady of the Cross, 5-6, Sr., guard
Anberlyn Petrecca, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy, 6-0, So., forward
Third Team
Bella Dumbroski, Serra Catholic, 5-9, Fr., point guard
Hannah Lokitis, Lourdes Regional, 6-1, So., center
Levada Gorsuch, Williamsburg, 6-1, So., forward/center
Madison Peterson, Glendale, 5-11, Sr., forward
Kristin Szymusiak, Blacklick Valley, 5-10, Sr., guard