Girls' Class AAAA

The seeds: Mt. Lebanon first, Butler second, Bethel Park third, Norwin fourth.

The winner will be: Mt. Lebanon. The Blue Devils ripped through Section 4 with a 14-0 mark and, as has been the case with all Dori Oldaker-coached teams, they have done it with defense, yielding just a shade above 33 points per game. After falling short in the PIAA title game last year, it would seem players such as senior Emily Miller and juniors Jess Babe and Chelsea Apke have refocused.

Sleeper: Baldwin. As is sometimes the case in playoff situations, one player can put a team on her shoulders and lift it to an improbable run. Baldwin sophomore guard Belma Nurkic (18.9 ppg) is the type of player who could do that.

The skinny: Three of the four section champions -- Norwin, Butler and Mt. Lebanon -- finished the season unbeaten in their respective sections, while Fox Chapel and Oakland Catholic had 10-2 marks in Section 2, although Oakland Catholic beat the Foxes twice. ... Peters Township is the defending champion and, if the Indians want to make another run, William & Mary recruit Emily Correal (19.9 ppg) must shine. ... Because of Mt. Lebanon's success, Bethel Park has been flying a little under the radar, but remember, the Black Hawks' only two section loses came against Mt. Lebanon. ... Olivia Bresnahan (18.5 ppg) is a proven scorer, but who complements her will be key to Butler's playoff hopes.

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Girls' Class AAA

The seeds: New Castle first, Indiana second, West Mifflin third, Hampton fourth.

The winner will be: Indiana. The Little Indians roared to 16 consecutive wins through the heart of the season and have done it without a superstar, as has been the case the past few years. Consider this as a show of its balance: In Indiana's section-finale win last week against Derry Area, 14 players scored at least a point.

Sleeper: Mars. The Planets are built to make a run because of two key components. First, they play defense, giving up just 38 points per game. Secondly, they have a proven go-to player, 6-foot-1 senior Lily Grenci (24.3 ppg), a Siena signee.

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The skinny: Class AAA is the toughest to handicap, as West Mifflin, New Castle, Hampton and Indiana all have shown flashes that they could be the best team in the classification. ... New Castle notched a non-section win against Butler, one of Class AAAA's finest teams, last week. That should serve as an indicator of how good New Castle is. ... Hampton is the defending champion, and the Talbots do it with balance and have no scorer among the area's top 50. ... South Park (15-6), which rose from Class AA this year, is an intriguing team behind scorer Nicole Doria (17.0).

Girls' Class AA

The seeds: Sto-Rox first, Beaver second, Seton-LaSalle third, Ford City fourth.

The winner will be: Sto-Rox. The Vikings have played a big-time schedule this year and stumbled just once (against Class AAA Hopewell). Sto-Rox has knocked off Class AAAA teams Penn Hills, Upper St. Clair and North Hills and also posted an impressive win against North Catholic. Simply put, they are battle tested.

Sleeper: Jeannette. Junior guard Kayla Cook (21.1 ppg) is one of the best players in the WPIAL if she gets going. If she can put together a couple of big games and prove to be a matchup problem at 5-10, the Jayhawks could make some noise.

The skinny: Ford City is a team that has star power, behind 6-3 Penn State recruit Marisa Wolfe (18.8 ppg), who can control the low block. ... This bracket gives a glimpse into the future for any Duquesne women's basketball fan, as Washington's top player Jocelyn Floyd (21.4 ppg) and Beaver Area's biggest threat, Carly Vendemia (22.5 ppg), are seniors who will take their games to The Bluff next season. ... Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is a wild card of sorts, led by Devin McGrath (19.3 ppg), who missed the playoffs last year after a mysterious, debilitating injury forced her to spend time in Children's Hospital.

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Girls' Class A

The seeds: North Catholic first, Quigley second, Serra third, Monessen fourth.

The winner will be: North Catholic. When playoff time comes around, it is nearly impossible to pick against the Trojanettes because of history and talent. This year, Molly Rottmann's team breezed through Section 4 unbeaten behind Lauren Savulchak (18.4 ppg). Of the Trojanettes' losses this season, none came against Class A competition.

Sleeper: Mount Alvernia. The Lions won the WPIAL last season and made a run to the PIAA championship game. Losing by only two points to Class AA Ford City last week and by six to North Catholic last month shows they can compete with the best.

The skinny: Serra's Jade Stewart (18.5 ppg) has the Eagles soaring. She knows something about scoring, as she learned it from her sister, former East Allegheny and Pitt star Brooke Stewart, who scored more than 3,000 points in high school. ... Is this Quigley's year? It sure could be. Its two losses were to Serra (by one point) and Class AA Beaver, but it has not lost since December. The Spartans are led by senior guard Kayla Taormina (18 ppg).