Girls athlete of the week

// The Post-Gazette’s top female performer from the past seven days

The past week: Jackson had 20 points and 20 rebounds in a victory against Latrobe Monday, and 23 points in a win against Plum Feb. 7.

Check this out: Jackson is a 6-foot-3 center who is one of the top juniors in the WPIAL. She can dominate games inside, finishing the regular season averaging 15.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 5.9 blocks. She has had tripledoubles in games for a Gateway team that won a WPIAL title last year and heads into the playoffs this season with a 19-3 record. Jackson transferred from Upper St. Clair to Gateway in January of her freshman year after her mother got a new job in the Monroeville area. You average six blocks a game. That is really a lot. No fudging on that statistic? No, it’s correct.

With all these triple-doubles, is Russell Westbrook your favorite player? No.

Who is? I don’t really have one at the moment.

Are you any relation to star Gateway football player Courtney

Jackson? No relation to him. I got asked that when I transferred. Do people ask you that a lot?

All the time.

Is this team as good or maybe even better than last year? Better.

How so? We definitely get along really, really well and we communicate a lot on the floor. Our length is very good, too, and our defense is awesome. You’ve always been tall. Do you like it? I love being tall. When I was younger, I hated it.

I’ve grown to like it

Why did you hate it? People would always make fun of my height and just say, “Ohhhh, you’re so tall.’ But I’ve grown to appreciate it. Your coach says you’re a more efficient player this year. How so? I definitely understand the game better. I’m more assertive and more consistent this year. Any college offers? Western Michigan, North Carolina A&T, James Madison, Radford and Kent State. OK, if you could pick any college

in the country, where would you go? I’ve gotten asked this question before, but I never really thought that hard about it. Well, think about it now?

Hmmm. I would say the University of Louisville. I went to camp down there last summer and just enjoyed it, and loved the campus. Shorter shorts in basketball

these days. Do you like it? I like it to an extent, but I don’t like when guys roll them so much. They’re all bunched up.