Girls athlete of the week
The Post-Gazette’s top female performer of the past seven days
Last week: Haggerty scored 37 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a big win against Laurel on Jan. 30. She followed up with 23 points in a victory against Riverside on Thursday.
Check this out: Haggerty, a 6-foot senior, is among the top five scorers in the WPIAL with a 22.3 average. She plays inside and outside and has 54 3-pointers. She also averages 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks a game. Haggerty made all-state last year for a team that won WPIAL and PIAA titles. She also was an all-WPIAL volleyball player. Haggerty’s mother, Nikki, also played basketball at Neshannock and her father, Deean, was a standout 6-7 player at North Allegheny in the early 1990s who went on to play at Westminster. Mairan has signed to play at Seton Hill University.
The game with 37 against Laurel, was that maybe the best game ever for you individually? I’d have to say that probably was. Going in, we knew it was a big game. It was for the section lead. We knew we had to play like we know how. I knew I had to get underneath more and get rebounds. I was a guard last year and shooting was my strong suit. I can still shoot the 3, but I’m underneath more this year.
So, do you pretty much play all positions now, 1 to 5? I do play anywhere. I still play outside, but I post up sometimes and go underneath. I’m doing that a lot more this year.
Your team is the defending state champs, but you have six losses. What did that Laurel win say? It was one of those games where we needed to step up and focus. We definitely gained a lot of confidence from that game.
Is this team good enough to win it again? I’m going to say yes. Anything is possible.
You’ve been a good shooter. You made nine 3pointers in a game last year. What’s the biggest key to being a good 3 point shooter — follow through, arc, what? Honestly, I’d have to say the mental thing. I think I gained confidence in 10th grade. Coach gave me the green light to shoot and I gained confidence from that.
You were an all-WPIAL volleyball player. Did you ever like volleyball more? At a point I did, and then basketball came around and I just realized it was the sport I wanted to play at the next level. Who is the best women’s player in the world right now?
Oh, gosh, I don’t know. My favorite is Elena Delle Donne. I don’t know if she’s the best, but I’ve always liked her.
Your favorite player, man or woman? Probably Kevin Durant.
People might be surprised to know that you ... ? I’m ambidextrous. I write, eat and brush my teeth with my left hand, but play righty in all sports.