South Fayette dominates Almanac girls all-star squad
For the second year in a row, South Fayette ruled the courts. The Lady Lions captured their second straight state championship by again defeating Archbishop Wood, 45-35, in the PIAA Class 6A final played March 21 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Additionally they captured their fourth WPIAL title in five years and grabbed another undefeated section banner.
In compiling a 30-1 overall record, South Fayette did not lose a game to any team in Pennsylvania. The Lady Lions’ lone loss was to Miami Country Day, 56-54, in the Tampa Bay Invitational. The Spartans went on to win the Florida Class 2A state championship.
So it comes as no surprise that the Lady Lions dominate the 2026 edition of The Almanac girls basketball all-star team. Four starters, who possess NCAA Division I basketball scholarship offers, comprise the squad, which consists of a first and second team of the best five players in the readership region. The all-star unit was selected with the help of the area coaches and with consideration for each player’s body of work and by covering the teams throughout the season.
Juliette Leroux headlines the squad as the Most Valuable Player (see related article) and includes Bryan Bennett as the Coach of the Year as well as Haylie Lamonde, Ryan Oldaker, and Lailah Wright as first-team selections.
Additionally all four players and Bennett were recently named to the all-state team, which is compiled through a statewide vote of high school sports writers. Leroux was named Class 5A Player of the Year while Bennett garnered Coach of the Year honors.
Wright engineered the South Fayette offense, which averaged 68 points per game. The junior point guard averaged 9.6 points per game while dishing up 4.6 assists. She spearheaded a defense that surrendered only 34 per game, picking up 3.8 steals per game. She also managed four rebounds in each outing.
“Lailah was the engine of this team, setting a relentless tempo on both ends of the floor while serving as an elite, lockdown defender,” said Bennett. “Her ability to dictate the pace and disrupt the opposition’s rhythm was a driving force behind our championship success.”
Oldaker was a driving force particularly during South Fayette’s playoff run. She led the Lions in scoring in the PIAA final with 15 points. She had nine points, 11 rebounds, two assists and a steal in the WPIAL championship game, a 57-38 win over Thomas Jefferson.
“Ryan was a dynamic three-level scorer for us, yet her true value often lay in the gritty, ‘unseen’ plays that held us together,” Bennett said. “Whether it was a key deflection or a block out, she consistently did the little things that don’t show up in a box score but are the true hallmarks of a champion.”
For the season, Oldaker averaged 11.8 points. In addition to grabbing 4.5 rebounds, she averaged two steals per game and provided 2.1 assists. Oldaker is committed to Marist University.
Lamonde is bound for the University of South Carolina Upstate to continue her playing career. The senior guard led the Lady Lions in scoring with a 14.8 average. She scored more than 1,000 points during her scholastic career.
“Haylie was a constant offensive threat who kept defenses off balanced by being able to score from deep while maintaining the explosive ability to attack the rim,” said Bennett. “This versatility made her nearly impossible to guard and provided the perfect scoring balance for our championship run.”
In addition to scoring, Lamonde made an impact in other statistical categories. She averaged 2.9 rebounds to go with two assists and two steals a game.
Ryan Prunzik of Upper St. Clair rounds out The Almanac’s first five. The senior point guard guided the Lady Panthers to the semifinals in the WPIAL playoffs after losing six seniors, four of them starters from last year’s district champion and state runner-up squad.
An all-section, first-team performer, Prunzik averaged 12 points per game and dished up eight assists. She also cleaned the glass with five rebounds a game. Prunzik also led the team defensively with four steals each outing.
“Ryan was the heart and soul of our team and a great leader,” said USC head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio. “She made everyone around her better. She set the tone at both ends of the floor and was such a fierce competitor. Ryan was our leading scorer, our playmaker and best defender. She will be tough to replace.”
SECOND TEAM
Along with Peters Township’s Bri Morreale and Taylor McCullough, Kat Boff from Bethel Park, Alyssa Davis from Chartiers Valley and Kat Polstyanko from Upper St. Clair headline the second team on the Almanac’s girls all-star squad.
A four-year veteran, Morreale was the keystone of the Lady Indians’ offense and a big reason why they won some 78 games in her scholastic career. She led the 2025-26 team in scoring with a 12.8 average. Morreale also is noted for scoring the game-winning basket in Peters Township’s upset win against South Fayette during the WPIAL Class 5A championship game in 2025.
Morreale capped her career by entering the 1,000-point club as well as finishing as the program’s all-time leading 3-point shooter.
“Bri has an extremely high IQ as a basketball player and an incredible 63.4 percentage in field goal efficiency,” said head coach Steve Limberiou.
McCullough, like Morreale, was a second-team all-section selection. She averaged 12 points a game for the Lady Indians, who finished 18-12 overall and reached the PIAA state semifinals. A sophomore, she scored a game-high 20 points in Peters Township’s overtime upset win against York Suburban in the PIAA Class 5A tournament.
“Taylor played her best in the biggest games,” said Limberiou.
Boff was the workhorse for the Lady Hawks, who finished 12-10 overall but missed out on a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season. A senior, she played 29 minutes each game.
She averaged 11 points, five rebounds and three steals a game to go along with three deflections on defense.
“On a team that didn’t score a lot she was a pest on defense and a consistent leader,” said BP skipper Steve Norman. “We share the ball and rarely have one sided scoring but Kat did have multiple 20 pt games.
Only a sophomore, Davis led Chartiers Valley in most categories. She managed 16 points per game, grabbed seven rebounds and accumulated three steals each outing for the Lady Colts.
Polstyanko also has a bright future as she too is a sophomore. A first-team all-section selection, she averaged 11 points and five rebounds for the Lady Panthers.
“Kat was really good at scoring in transition for us,” said McConnell-Serio. “She also impacted the game offensively with being able to score around the rim. Defensively, she was a difference maker with her length.”
HONORABLE MENTION
Among the players to merit honorable mention were: Ella Vierra from South Fayette along with Mt. Lebanon’s Elizabeth Twyman, Anessa Donoghue, Chloe Shea and Cali Green.
A two-year starter, Vierra was a second-team all-section selection. She averaged 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Lady Lions.
“Ella is a two-way force whose explosive athleticism allows her to excel in all three phases of the game,” said Bennett. “Whether she is guarding the opponent’s best player as an excellent defender or showcasing her versatile scoring ability, her physical presence is a constant game-changer.”
A junior, Twyman led Lebo in scoring and rebounding with 8.9 points and 6.2 boards per game.
“Elizabeth was our most consistent player all year, game in and game out,” said Blue Devils head coach Mark Walsh.
A junior, Donoghue provided 7.6 points. 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 points per game for Mt. Lebanon, which lost to eventual Class 6A champion Canon-McMillan in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL playoffs. The focal point of opposing defense, Walsh also noted Donoghue’s “outstanding hustle” and defensive play.
A senior, Shea managed 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and two assists for the Blue Devils, who beat North Hills in the first round of the playoffs and finished 7-16 overall after the loss to the Lady Macs. “Chloe ran the paint for us and did a great job,” Walsh said. “She was a very good defender.”
Green doubled as a forward and a center for the Blue Devils. A 5-foot-10 junior, she averaged 6.5 points to go along with four rebounds per game. “Cali was our top post player,” Walsh said. “She always guarded the other team’s best big and did a very good job defending.”
TOP ROOKIE
McKenna Helfrick garnered Almanac Rookie of the Year accolades. A freshman, she averaged eight points, four rebounds and three steals a game for the Lady Colts, who finished third in Section 5 behind South Fayette and West Allegheny.
“McKenna played the most minutes for us this season,” said CV skipper Mike Semplice. “As a freshman, she completely controlled our offense.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Among the players to watch include: Naiya Turner and Addy Owen from Bethel Park as well as Emily Smith from Mt. Lebanon and Kenzie Rumberger from South Fayette.
Turner and Owen averaged 28 minutes of playing time per game. The freshmen duo combined for 12 points each outing for the Lady Hawks. They also managed three steals and three deflections per game.
While Owen played the point guard position, Turner excelled at small forward. Head coach Steve Norman predicted “both are candidates for MVP” in the coming years.
“Both routinely guarded the opponents best two players regardless of size,” he said. “We didn’t play a single team in section or out of section who had a freshmen impact their team as much as ours did.
A sophomore, Smith made her mark on defense. She grabbed 3.2 rebounds a game while supplying four points to the offense. “Emily guarded the other team’s best player especially during the latter part of the year,” said Walsh.
A freshman guard, Rumberger was the first sub off the bench for the Lady Lions. She earned second team all-section honors.
Almanac Girls Basketball All-stars
FIRST TEAM
NAME SCHOOL POSITION YEAR STATS
Haylie Lamonde South Fayette Guard Senior 14.8 ppg. 2.9 rpg. Juliette Leroux South Fayette Forward Senior 14 ppg. 6.4 rpg.
Ryan Oldaker South Fayette Forward Senior 11.8 ppg. 4.5 rpg.
Ryan Prunzik Upper St. Clair Guard Senior 12 ppg. 8 assists
Lailah Wright South Fayette Guard Junior 11 ppg. 5 rpg.
SECOND TEAM
NAME SCHOOL POSITION YEAR STATS
Kat Boff Bethel Park Guard Senior 11 ppg. 5 rpg.
Alyssa Davis Chartiers Valley Forward Soph. 16 ppg. 7 rpg.
Bri Morreale Peters Township Guard Senior 12.8 ppg.
Taylor McCullough Peters Township Guard Soph. 12.0 ppg.
Kat Polstyanko Upper St. Clair Forward Soph. 11 ppg. 5 rpg.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Juliette Leroux, South Fayette
HONORABLE MENTION: Elizabeth Twyman, Anessa Donoghue, Chloe Shea, Calie Green – Mt. Lebanon; Ella Vierra – South Fayette
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR McKenna Helfrick, Chartiers Valley 8 ppg. 4 rpg. 3 steals
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Naiya Turner, Addy Owen – Bethel Park; , Emily Smith – Mt. Lebanon; Kenzie Rumberger – South Fayette
COACH OF THE YEAR Bryan Bennett, South Fayette