Girls athlete of the week
The Post-Gazette’s top female performer for the past seven days
Recently: O’Brien scored 17 points in a 47-44 win against Pine-Richland on Dec. 11, 22 points in a 41-39 win against Union on Saturday, and 15 in a 53-25 win against Quaker Valley on Monday.
Check this out: O’Brien is a 5-foot-8 junior guard who is averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game. She is a three-year starter who has 754 career points. Avonworth is the defending WPIAL Class 3A champ and ranked No. 1 this year (5-0). O’Brien is also a two-year starter at outside back for Avonworth’s girls soccer team, which has won three consecutive WPIAL titles and placed second in the PIAA this year.
When did you start playing basketball and who introduced you to the sport?
I started playing in second grade. I had two older sisters who played and I went to all their games.
When did you start playing soccer and who introduced you to the sport? I started playing with a lot of my friends
when I was real young, but decided not to play my freshman year.
Why? I didn’t know if I could handle two sports. I wanted to get a feel for playing at the varsity level before I committed to two sports. After seeing the soccer team win a WPIAL title, that inspired me to play as a sophomore.
Is this year’s basketball team good enough to defend the WPIAL title you won last year?
Yes. I am one of three returning starters. We have a very special team that clicks together on and off the court. We have to keep the momentum going to win another title.
Do you have a special display for your WPIAL gold medals? I have them stored in my closet, but my mom gets to display them above the stove for a couple months.
Are any of your WPIAL titles more meaningful to you than the others? Definitely, the basketball title. My sister, Olivia, won WPIAL and PIAA titles at Vincentian. Winning a WPIAL basketball title has been a dream of mine since watching Olivia win her titles.
If you could attend any sporting event, what would it be? The NCAA basketball Final Four. It doesn’t matter whether it’s men’s or women’s. It would be so much fun.
What are you hoping to get from Santa Claus this year? A new pair of headphones.
Is there a movie you could watch any time? Either “Wonder Woman” or “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I can do flips, back flips, and back hand springs. I’ve never tried one during a game.
— By Ken Wunderley