South Fayette’s Leroux named Almanac MVP
Juliette Leroux credits an ancient adage for her success in basketball. Her attitude indeed determines her altitude.
“Let’s just say you have to have a positive mindset all of the time,” she said. “It’s really a mental game, so if your mental goes down, then your physical goes down. Just retain that mental ability then everything should go well.”
During her scholastic career at South Fayette, everything certainly did go well. A four-year letter winner in both basketball and volleyball, Leroux accumulated a lot of hardware – eight medals, three WPIAL titles, two district runner-up trophies, two PIAA championships and one state runner-up award.
Additionally, she will have her name stitched on the banner hanging from the gymnasium rafters for joining the 1,000-point club.
“I can’t describe how incredible I feel and how extremely proud,” she said of the legacy she is leaving behind. “I’ve had an amazing career.”
Leroux has added two additional accolades as her athletic endeavors at South Fayette come to a close. She has been named the state’s Class 5A Player of the Year as well as The Almanac’s Most Valuable Player for girls basketball.
Of the distinctions she said, “I’m really proud of myself. All the hours that I put in, day and night, finally paid off.
“So many good things have happened (for me) with basketball,” she added. “It’s been really rewarding.”
South Fayette head coach Bryan Bennett acknowledged that hard work and a positive attitude propelled Leroux to great heights.
“Since her freshman year, Juju has continued to develop her skills,” he said. “She is driven to improve and consistently puts in the work at practice each day. By continually adding new elements to her game, she established herself as one of the top players in the state.”
Leroux sets herself apart from her peers because she is “an elite, three-level scorer” adds Bennett.
“Her explosive athleticism allows her to impact the game in a variety of ways,” he continued. “She has the ability to finish at the rim or can knock down shots from deep. This skill set makes her a constant matchup nightmare.”
A 5-foot-10 swing guard, Leroux averaged 14 points per game as the Lady Lions rolled up a 30-1 record this winter that resulted in an undefeated section title, a WPIAL banner for the third time in her career and a third appearance in the state finals. During her scholastic career, South Fayette posted a 106-15 overall record.
Leroux played key roles in South Fayette’s back-to-back PIAA Class 6A championship wins against Archbishop Wood. She tossed in 10 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in this year’s 45-35 win against the Vikings. She garnered all-state acclaim for her 15-point, 7-rebound performance in the 2025 state final win, 45-37, against the Vikings.
“It’s incredible that we got to go to states last year and when I was a freshman, so to win there twice is unheard of, especially for a public school,” she said. “I’m extremely proud of my team. We’ve been successful this whole season.”
Additionally, Leroux averaged 6.4 rebounds a game this winter. She also chipped in with 2.3 assists and three steals in each outing.
After going undefeated during section action, South Fayette embarked on defense of its state title but encountered a roadblock in the quarterfinals of the district playoffs. After putting up a strong showing, Trinity’s upset bid fell short as the Lady Lions survived the scare, escaping with a 26-23 victory.
“I would say our Trinity game was the hardest step in the process. It was close when we only won by three. So I feel like that was the time to settle down and focus on our strengths coming into the next game. I feel like we really did that.”
Leroux added that the Lady Lions never doubted the outcome.
“We know each other and really depend upon the team concept. We know that we just had to calm down, and go back to the basics. We’ve been in that space for years, so we know to be patient when times are tough, and we kind of instill that in our younger girls, too.”
Leroux does not underestimate the impact her play has affected the future of the program. She’s looking forward to having her name on the 1,000-point banner for future players to see.
“I’m extremely proud and seeing the younger girls who will look up to me, too, is incredible. I can’t describe it as anything else.”
Leroux also acknowledged that she did not succeed on her own. She is grateful for a multitude of people, particularly her parents – Francois and Lori – coaches and teammates.
“They’ve contributed to my success. They’ve put up with my attitude when I’ve had a bad practice. I want to be successful so I’m definitely hard on myself. My coaches watch endless hours of film and prepare us really well for all of these games.”
That foundation has readied Leroux for the next step in her career. In the summer she will transition to the collegiate game when she attends training camp and drills in preparation for her enrollment at Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton.
“I’m gonna miss this so much,” Leroux said of South Fayette. “I love my team and I love how we have had so much success, but I’m gonna bring my skills that I learned here and bring them down to Florida, and hopefully have some success out of that, too. If I keep a positive mindset, then things should work out well.”