Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for Jan. 29, 2023

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, January 29, 2023 | 11:14 PM

It was just another week at the office for one of the top 10th graders in WPIAL girls basketball.

Clairton super sophomore Iyanna Wade scored 109 points in three victories for the Bears, to raise her average to 34 points per game, tops in the WPIAL.

Wade is doing her part to keep the family business of athletic success going.

“There is definitely a lot of expectations, but I want to live up to those expectations,” Iyanna Wade said.

Her older brother is Lamont Wade, a former standout running back at Clairton and defensive back at Penn State who has spent time in both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants camps.

Iyanna’s father is Carlton Wade, former standout basketball player for the Bears who also is in his seventh season as head coach of the Clairton girls basketball team.

“Sometimes it’s tough because he gets on me a lot at home and on the court, but it’s fun,” Iyanna Wade said or her father-coach. “Having him as my coach is definitely fun.”

The feeling is mutual.

“Iyanna has done a wonderful job of playing the game,” Carlton Wade said. “She’s definitely one of the best around.”

On Tuesday, Clairton hit the road and defeated the Ellis School, 52-37, behind 36 points for Wade.

On Thursday, the Bears picked up another section win thanks to a big performance by Wade at home. She scored 50 points in the Bears’ win over Steel Valley, 70-32.

“I’m in a zone, I just go out there and play,” Iyanna Wade said when asked if she knew she had scored 50 points. “I didn’t realize I had that point total until after the game.”

Clairton proved it is not just a one-girl band the next night when it beat Winchester Thurston, 65-49.

Wade led the black and orange Bears with 23 points, but also had help with Keira Brown scoring 18 and Jamiya Childs adding 16 points.

“What stood out was she was able to get some rest,” Carlton Wade said. “We were down a couple of girls over the tournament and she was able to get her legs back and be aggressive. It’s very hard playing with only six players.”

As a freshman, Iyanna Wade finished fourth in the WPIAL in scoring last year with 426 points for an average of 23.7 points per game. She already has 475 points this season through 14 games.

“She is a more well-rounded player, can shoot the ball better, got stronger and she’s a smarter player,” Carlton Wade said.

Plus she has become a team leader even though she is only a sophomore.

“She is still young, but she pretty much leads by example on and off the court,” Carlton Wade said.

Off the hardwood, Iyanna Wage has a 4.0 grade point average.

Clairton (6-3, 8-6) entered last week having lost five straight games, but three straight section wins have the Bears in third place in Section 3-2A with big games coming up Thursday at home against second-place Serra Catholic and on Feb. 6 at front-running Greensburg Central Catholic.

“We are going to go out and just play the game with really not much expectation,” Carlton Wade said. “No one thought that we would win many games with what we have.”

2023 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 3 – Shaye Bailey, Freedom

Week 2 – Rylee Kalocay, Upper St. Clair

Week 1 – McKenna DeUnger, Charleroi

Tags: Clairton