Here’s a closer look at the 2026 WPIAL girls basketball playoffs.
Class 6A
Favorite: While Norwin looked like the clear No. 1 seed for much of the regular season, Canon-McMillan swooped in late with a win over Norwin and won the Section 2 title. The Big Macs, with a senior-heavy lineup, swept Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon. They made the semifinals last year. Canon-McMillan has never won a WPIAL title.
Challengers: Norwin, while mostly young, may have the deepest rotation of any team in the tournament and made the final last year. Only one starter came back in senior Ava Christopher, who missed 11 games with a knee injury before returning against Hempfield. … Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland split the Section 1 title, each defeating one another. Seneca Valley, which has won 9 of 10, has the best defensive average in 6A at 37.1 points a game. … Pine-Richland has seven straight wins and scored a win over Seneca Valley last week.
Don’t overlook: Upper St. Clair, coached by Suzie McConnell-Serio, is the defending WPIAL champion. The Panthers beat Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland.
Prediction: Norwin over Canon-McMillan
Class 5A
Favorite: This one is an uncontested layup. South Fayette features five Division I players and may be the best team in the WPIAL regardless of classification. The Lions average 72.1 points per game and their only loss is to a team from Miami. Forward Juliette Leroux, a Florida Atlantic commit, averages 16.2 points. Guard Ryan Oldaker is headed to Marist, and Haylie Lamonde committed to USC Upstate. Lailah Wright and Ella Vierra also have high-level college interest. South Fayette has won three of the last four WPIAL Class 5A titles.
Challengers: Thomas Jefferson is a 20-win team that reached the semifinals last year and features Campbell commit Maggie Spell (17.5 ppg). The Jaguars have not lost in 2026, winning 12 straight games. … Plum was a 14 seed last year but is threatening to contend behind 20-ppg scorer Riley Stephans and Tamia West (15 ppg). The Mustangs are allowing less than 40 points a game. … Indiana and Penn-Trafford shared the Section 2 title and both are capable of making a run after reaching the quarterfinals last season. Indiana allows the fewest points in the bracket, at 33.4. Senior guard Julia Antonacci makes the Indians go. Indiana lost to Penn-Trafford, 59-38, only to bounce back and beat the Warriors, 45-40. … Guard-oriented Penn-Trafford has won 14 of 16. It finished last year’s regular season 22-0. Torrie DeStefano, a Seton Hill commit, is a complete player for the Warriors. …. Baldwin has wins over Pine-Richland, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and Penn-Trafford.
Don’t overlook: West Allegheny finished second in Section 3 to South Fayette. The Indians have a win over 6A Upper St. Clair.
Prediction: South Fayette over Thomas Jefferson
Class 4A
Favorite: Blackhawk ripped through the regular season without a loss, which gave it a slight edge for the top seed. The Cougars reached the final last year and lost to Oakland Catholic. They allow just 30.4 points and have nonsection wins over Upper St. Clair and Pine-Richland. Canisius recruit Aubree Hupp powers the Blackhawk offense with a 21-point average. She has over 1,000 career points and more than 900 rebounds.
Challengers: Defending champion Oakland Catholic has won eight in a row heading into the postseason. The Eagles, who swept North Catholic and also defeated Shady Side Academy, have one of the stingiest defenses in the playoffs. They have not lost to a WPIAL team. They allow 26.3 points. Josie Fontana, a Richmond commit, averages 15.9 points a game. … Youthful Belle Vernon has height and guard play, and won its first section title in 27 years. Aubrey Brown, a 6-2 sophomore, has an offer from Kent State. The Leopards have won 13 in a row. … North Catholic is in the playoffs for the 51st straight season. The Trojanettes made the semifinals last year. They have a WPIAL-best 23 titles, including a three-peat in 2022-24. Seven championships have come since 2017.
Don’t overlook: Beaver came in second in Section 2 behind Blackhawk, while Elizabeth Forward was runner-up to Belle Vernon in Section 3.
Prediction: Oakland Catholic over Blackhawk
Class 3A
Favorite: Shady Side Academy went undefeated in Section 2, and that included a pair of victories over rival Greensburg Central Catholic. The Bulldogs lost just twice, in overtime to Class 5A Pine-Richland and to Class 5A power Oakland Catholic. Shady Side has won 10 games in a row. Led by Purdue Fort Wayne recruit Karis Thomas and Chicago commit Cassie Sauer, the Bulldogs were last year’s WPIAL and PIAA runner-up. Shady Side won its first championship in 2024.
Challengers: Beaver Falls (20-1) had an unblemished record until Saturday when it suffered a two-point overtime loss to Class 2A power Neshannock at The Bash in New Castle. The Tigers, fronted by seniors Dreaven Haskins and Taylor Pullen, average 62 points and went undefeated to win Section 1 … Greensburg Central Catholic is the two-time defending WPIAL champion. The Centurions seek their eighth WPIAL title overall. GCC finished runner-up to Shady Side in Section 2 at 12-2 and has won eight of nine. The lone loss came to the Bulldogs on Feb. 2. Senior Erica Gribble, a leading scorer for the Centurions, is a Richmond recruit. … Quaker Valley, a WPIAL quarterfinalist last year, challenged Beaver Falls for the Section 1 title, finishing 12-2. The Quakers, led by senior Maryland commit Mimi Thiero, have won seven games in a row and 10 of 11 with the lone loss by three points to Beaver Falls on Jan. 15. Thiero, the all-time leading scorer in Quaker Valley girls basketball history, is the first Quakers girls’ player to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. …Our Lady of the Sacred Heart hopes to make another WPIAL run after reaching the Class 3A semifinals last year. OLSH avenged its WPIAL loss to GCC with a victory over the Centurions in the PIAA tournament. This year’s Chargers team, led by a talented group that includes seniors Lola Garner and Leah Park, rebounded after section losses to Beaver Falls and Quaker Valley to win four in a row. … Seton LaSalle, the Section 3 champion at 11-1, split its season series with Waynesburg Central and swept Keystone Oaks. The Rebels won seven of eight games to close out the regular season.
Don’t overlook: Riverside (14-7) challenged the top teams in Section 1, falling to OLSH by just two points Jan. 29 and by just three to Beaver Falls a week earlier. The Panthers went 6-1 in nonsection play.
Prediction: Shady Side Academy over Greensburg C.C.
Class 2A
Favorite: Neshannock (18-3) went undefeated in winning the Section 1 title as it seeks its fourth WPIAL championship and first since 2022. Senior forward Peyton Newman (17 ppg), a double-double threat, leads a talented Lancers group that has won 14 in a row. That streak started with a victory over Fox Chapel at the St. Joseph tournament in late December. Neshannock capped the regular season Saturday with a 73-71 overtime triumph over Class 3A power Beaver Falls at The Bash at New Castle. The Lancers finished runner-up to Aliquippa last year and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals.
Challengers: Winchester Thurston won 11 of 13 in the new year with the lone losses coming to Class A power Aquinas Academy and Class 3A contender Quaker Valley. The Bears went undefeated at 10-0 in winning the Section 4 title. A deep and talented group led by senior guard DaShae Cochran, 1,000-point scorer, and junior Jasmine Collins is hoping to challenge for a WPIAL title after placing third in last year’s WPIAL tournament and making the PIAA playoffs. … Chartiers Houston (18-3) captured the Section 3 title with a 10-0 record. The Bucs have won 10 of 12 in the new year. They are 41-3 in section games the past four seasons. Senior guards Ali Wingard and Amelia Brose help lead the way for a Chartiers-Houston team which placed seventh in the WPIAL last year and earned the final Class 2A spot to the PIAA playoffs. … Fort Cherry triumphed as Section 2 champion with a 10-0 record and won 10 of 11 since the start of January with the lone loss coming to Class 3A Waynesburg by eight points. The Rangers challenged themselves early and started 1-4. Senior forward Brooke Cornali and senior point guard Bella Bianchini front a Fort Cherry attack in an attempt to win a first-ever WPIAL title and make a return to the PIAA playoffs. … Rochester, led by the scoring and rebounding of Wheeling commit and 1,000-point scorer Tia Yellock, finished runner-up to Neshannock in the Section 1 standings. The Rams are hoping to make a run after going 4-5 down the stretch heading into a game Monday against Quaker Valley. Rochester made the PIAA playoffs last year. The Rams won three straight WPIAL Class A titles from 2019-21. … Aliquippa lost three of its last four, but one was a competitive eight-point setback to Rochester on Thursday. The Quips are the defending Class 2A champions having topped Neshannock in last year’s title game. Denim Odom, a 5-10 junior forward, is one of the team’s top performers.
Don’t overlook: Burgettstown, led by junior Paige Klodowski at nearly 18 points a game, has surged back into the conversation at 15-6 overall after going 8-14 last year. The Blue Devils finished runner-up to Fort Cherry in Section 2.
Prediction: Neshannock over Winchester Thurston
Class A
Favorite: Aquinas Academy (19-2) is on a mission to claim WPIAL gold for the first time and end Union’s quest for a fourth district championship. The section rivals met twice this year with Aquinas winning both en route to the Section 1 title. Senior guard Tess Duer leads the Crusaders at almost 20 points a game. Senior guard Elliot Keverline has been on the radar of opposing teams all season. Aquinas made the WPIAL semifinals last year and played in the PIAA tournament. This year, the Crusaders lost just once to a WPIAL team, falling to Class 2A power Chartiers-Houston.
Challengers: Geibel Catholic was a WPIAL semifinalist a year ago and took part in the PIAA playoffs. The Gators and Serra Catholic finished tied for the Section 2 title at 13-1. Geibel was undefeated until a 51-50 loss to Serra on Thursday. Senior guard Emma Larkin, a 1,000-point scorer, was one of the top scorers in the WPIAL in the regular season at nearly 25 points per game. Sophomore Mallory Clemmer complemented Larkin at 22.7 points per game. …. Serra Catholic (15-5) made a late-season surge with eight wins in a row. Sophomore Bella Dombrowski fronts the Eagles, scoring 22 points per game. Serra, as the No. 4 seed, suffered a loss to No. 5 Aquinas in last year’s WPIAL quarterfinals. … Union finished as the Section 1 runner-up to Aquinas at 12-2 and has won six games in a row. Union was upset by Williamsburg in last year’s PIAA first round. Senior guard Miera Gunn is one to watch for the Scotties. … West Greene (15-6) battled Geibel and Serra in Section 2. The Pioneers lost by only six to Geibel early in the season. West Greene was a WPIAL runner-up four straight years from 2018-21. Senior guard/forward Kendra Tharp, a three-sport athlete (softball, volleyball) and a 1,000-point scorer on the hardcourt, can be a game changer. … St. Joseph (13-8) finished tied for third in Section 1 behind Aquinas and Union. The Spartans have reached the PIAA playoffs four straight seasons. Sophomore guard Bella Bartolovic leads St. Joseph at nearly 19 points a game, and senior forward Kasey Cienik is a top scorer and rebounder.
Don’t overlook: Sewickley Academy (13-9), another strong member of a deep Section 1 group, split with St. Joseph to forge the tie for third in section play. Junior guard Emma Eannarino is a scoring threat for the Panthers.
Prediction: Aquinas Academy over Serra Catholic