 |
 It
could be easily argued that Mona Gaffney-Brosier is the most
decorated female basketball player to have come out of Beaver
County. She excelled at the high school, college, and professional
levels. The 1990 Aliquippa High School grad was part of a powerful
juggernaut at Aliquippa, which was coached by Hall of Famer
Donna Richey.
A four year starter, Mona was highly instrumental in helping the
Quips achieve a record of 112-13 over that span. Her teams won four
WPIAL Championships, and in the final two years won the State Title
as well. Mona finished her scholastic career with numerous honors: a
four time First Team All Selection choice, and a four time
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Top Twenty selection. As a junior, she was
Second Team All State, and made the First Team as a senior. She was
also chosen as one of the Top Five by the Post-Gazette in 1990. A
three time team Most Valuable Player, Mona was also chosen as the
MVP of the Roundball Classic following her senior season. Her final
stats showed her scoring 2038 points, second all time at Aliquippa,
and she is the all time Quip rebounding leader with 1246. Her jersey
number (32) was retired by the school. The good times continued at
Clarion University. Mona was a four year starter and went on to set
nine school records, including a career scoring average of 16.8
points per game. As a senior, she averaged 23.6. She was named All
American her last two years with the Golden Eagles, and ranked
second all time in scoring (1920) and rebounding (1079). Mona also
ranks in the Top Ten in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
in both categories. She became just the fourth player in PSAC
history to reach 1800 points and 1000 rebounds in her career. She
helped Clarion compile a record of 81-34, and was named First Team
All Conference three times. Her teams played in three NCAA
Tournaments, including an Elite Eight finish in her sophomore year.
Mona was chosen Clarion’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1996, and
her college career culminated with her induction into the Clarion
Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. In 1997, Mona played professionally
with the Napier Hawkes Bay team in the New Zealand Professional
Basketball League. She averaged a double-double, scoring 15 points
and pulling down 12 rebounds per contest. Today, Mona resides in
Aliquippa with her husband David and their son, Jamir. |
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