Alayna Rocco used to dislike being in a basketball gym, especially because she is the daughter of a coach.
When she was young, her dad would always take her to her brother's practices, even though she didn't want to go. Now, she enjoys it.
Rocco, a senior at North Catholic, just completed a fantastic high school basketball career. She went to the WPIAL finals four times and won three championships. As a Harvard recruit, she scored 1,716 career points and had a record of 84-21 in four seasons.
This winter, Rocco scored an average of 19 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 3.2 steals for the North Catholic team, which won the WPIAL 4A championship again. In the finals, she scored 26 points, leading her team to a 40-37 overtime victory over Blackhawk.
Rocco is named the 2023-24 TribLive HSSN Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
She mentioned that her true love for basketball began in middle school. It was then that she expressed her desire to quit soccer, her primary sport, and focus on basketball. She believes that the time spent in the gym with her father and brother shaped her into the player she is today.
She has been playing with boys since she was young and would often practice with her dad's teams during the summers or join their pickup games.
Her brother, Zach Rocco, was a senior guard for Army this past season. Among the three Roccos — Alayna, Zach, and their father Jim — she claims to have the best game.
She jokingly claims to have the best game among the three.
Rocco discusses her high school career, what attracted her to an Ivy League college, her attempt to earn a car through defense, and more with TribLive HSSN’s Don Rebel.
