Girls athlete of the week

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

Recently: Rocco scored 21 points Saturday as North Catholic defeated Conneaut in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A basketball playoffs.

She had 16 in a WPIAL championship victory against Blackhawk on March 4.

Check this out: A 5-foot10 junior guard, Rocco leads North Catholic scoring with a 17.7 average. She also averages 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2 assists a game. She shoots 49% from the field, including 39% from 3-point range, and makes 82% of her free throws. She scored her 1,000th point earlier this season. Rocco’s father, Jim, is North Catholic’s coach and her older brother, Zach, is on the team at West Point.

Alayna Rocco, who has a 4.25 grade-point average, already has made a commitment to Harvard. Dacia Lewandowski [Akron recruit] is back after missing much of the season with a foot injury. Did your role change at all when she went out? I don’t really think

it changed a lot, just because we have so many versatile players who can step up any time we need them. Your dad is the boys coach and has been a high school coach for a long time. Did he push you into basketball or did you want

to get into it yourself? I feel like he definitely did play a part. But I feel like I would’ve gotten into it even if my dad wasn’t a coach. ... But I remember I told my dad after eighth grade I didn’t want to play soccer anymore. I just wanted to concentrate on basketball. What’s a bad thing about having a dad who is a high school coach? Probably that he sees everything [laugh]. He’ll nit-pick me like crazy, but he does really help me, too. Critique yourself. What’s the best part of your game?

I definitely think the way I can see the floor. Since I’ve been young, I always loved the transition game and being able to facilitate the ball. You could’ve gone to other places besides Harvard. Why the Ivy League?

Well, I would love to be able to play basketball at the Division I level, and another part was to get an amazing education. When I thought about it and talked to other people about it, I thought of it as a 40-year plan instead of a four-year plan. I don’t want basketball to end. But at some point, you have to stop playing basketball and have an education with you. Three words to describe your coach, Molly Rottmann? There are a lot. I’d say competitive, energetic and loving. She loves us like her own kids. People might be surprised to know? I play golf. Really? Are you any good? I’m pretty good. I can drive the ball. I’m just not good with my short game.