Ohio Ms. Basketball Finalists Announced by OPSWA

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association has announced the finalists for the 2024 Ohio Ms. Basketball Award. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, March 13.

Voting is currently underway for the 224 registered OPSWA members and will end at noon on Monday, March 11.

The voting process for OPSWA members is the same as that used to determine the Heisman Trophy winner in college football. First place votes get three points, second-place votes get two points and third-place votes get one point.

Ohio’s Ms. Basketball was selected by the Associated Press from 1987-2016. Since 2017 it has been presented by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

The OPSWA All-Ohio teams will begin being released on Monday, March 25.

2024 Ohio Ms. Basketball Finalists

Finalists listed in alphabetical order. Bio text listed below as received from OPSWA district chairs.

OPSWA membership voting ends at noon Monday, March 11.

Winner announced at noon on Wednesday, March 13.

Dee Alexander, Purcell-Marian, 6-1, jr

Reigning Ms. Basketball is the Southwest District Division II player of the year. She is a 6-1 junior forward with over 30 Division I offers and leads a team that will contend for a third straight state title. Averages: 19 ppg, 8 rpg, 4 apg, 2 spg,

Elise Bender, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, 6-1, Jr.

Two-time Northern Lakes League Player of the Year has previously been a two-time All-Ohio third team selection in Division I. This season, Bender averaged 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.9 steals per game. She had 1,352 points in her career through the regular season, as well as 485 rebounds. Anthony Wayne reached the state semifinals with her as a freshman in 2022. This season, Wayne was 20-2 and finished ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll. Uncommitted, Bender holds Division I offers from Villanova, Toledo, BGSU, Kent, CMU, Ohio, Cleveland State, Harvard, Loyola-Chicago, YSU and Oakland.

Emily Bratton, Bloom-Carroll, 5-7, sr.

The two-time Central District Division II and District 11 Coaches Association player of the year and three-time Mid-State League Buckeye Division player of the year, Bratton averaged 23.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 4.7 steals and shot 46 percent from the field (43 from three with 80 makes) and 86 percent at the line for a 20-5 district champion. Entering a district final, the Miami University signee had scored 1,719 points with 236 three-point goals, both program records. Bratton’s career averages were 18.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.4 steals. She was selected for the Ohio North-South all-star game.

Saniyah Hall, Shaker Heights Laurel, 6-2, so.

NE Lakes District POY averages 25.7 points. She is the No. 3-ranked player nationally in the Class of 2026 by ESPN with offers from Notre Dame to USC. This season, she averaged 25.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.8 steals and 1.5 blocks for the Gators (12-10), who played an elite schedule. She had two 40-point games, three 30-point games, 15 double-doubles and one triple-double.

Bryn Martin, Springboro, 6-1, jr.

GWOC POY for second straight year, 1,000 points, school 3-pt record, 20.8 ppg, 57% 2pt% (101/176), 41% 3pt% (55/134); overall FG% 50.3%, 88.3% FT (91/103), 4.5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 2.1 spg, Offers: Ohio State, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Penn State, Washington, BYU, UCF, Pitt, Dayton, Xavier, Butler, Harvard

Ashley Mullet, Berlin Hiland, 5-8, sr.

Mullet averaged 21 points, 5 assists, 3.5 steals and 3 rebounds per game, along with shooting 45% behind the arc for the 20-2 Hawks. Along with being the East District Division IV Girls Player of the Year, she also was named the Inter-Valley Conference South Division and District 5 Player of the Year and will be the District 5 representative for the state all-star game. She ranks among the top six in school history for points, assists and steals and is on pace to be among the top 5 in OHSAA history for games played.

Corri Vermilya, Loudonville, 5-9, sr.

Ms. Basketball nominee and strong candidate for Division IV Player of the Year. … 5-foot-9 senior guard and dominant all-around player for district champ Loudonville … 27.8 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 6.7 SPG. … Per OHSAA record books, Corri is the only player in Ohio history with 2,200 points, 1,100 rebounds, 300 assists, 500 steals and 100 blocks. … Two-time Northeast Inland District Player of the Year. OPSWA Division III State Player of the Year last season. First team All-Ohio as a sophomore and junior. … Committed to D2 power Ashland University (15 minutes from home) as a sophomore despite being recruited by D1 colleges. … Four-time Inland District and District 4 coaches association first teamer. Three-time District 4 coaches association POY. … MaxPreps Small School All-America fourth team in 2023. … Never lost a league game in four-year career (Loudonville has won eight straight league championships). … Scored a season-high 47 points in win against D1 Akron Ellet this season. Career-high 59 points in OCC championship game vs. Mansfield Senior last year. 75 career double-doubles, 10 triple-doubles, one quadruple-double. … Two-time First Team Academic All-American from National High School Coaches Association.

Berry Wallace, Pickerington Central, 6-1, sr.

The Division I Central District, District 11 Coaches Association and OCC Buckeye Division player of the year, Wallace averages 17.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals, shooting 59 percent from the field (42 on threes) and 89 percent at the line for a top-seeded, second-ranked 23-3 district champion. Considered among the top 20 seniors in the nation by USA Today and ESPNW HoopGurlz, the Illinois signee was chosen to play in the prestigious McDonalds national all-star game. Entering a district final, Wallace had exceeded 1,400 career points, 900 rebounds and 250 assists and the Tigers were 82-23 in her career with four district championships.

The OPSWA All-Ohio teams will begin being released on Monday, March 25.

Information about the OPSWA is available at: https://www.ohsaa.org/news/OPSWA

Past Ohio Ms. Basketball Ohio winners

2023 – Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian, sophomore

2022 – KK Bransford, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, senior

2021 – KK Bransford, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, junior

2020 – Madeline Westbeld, Kettering Fairmont, senior

2019 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, senior

2018 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, junior

2017 – Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley, sophomore

2016 – Jensen Caretti, Hannibal River, senior

2015 – Hallie Thome, Chagrin Falls, senior

2014 – Kelsey Mitchell, Cin. Princeton, senior

2013 – Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, senior

2012 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, senior

2011 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, junior

2010 – Natasha Howard, Tol. Waite, senior

2009 – Kendall Hackney, Cin. Mount Notre Dame, senior

2008 – Amber Gray, West Chester Lakota West, senior

2007 – Jantel Lavender, Cleveland Central Catholic, senior

2006 – Tyra Grant, Youngstown Ursuline, senior

2005 – Maria Getty, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, senior

2004 – Mel Thomas, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, senior

2003 – Brittany Hunter, Columbus Brookhaven, senior

2002 – Barbara Turner, Cleveland East Tech, senior

2001 – Michelle Munoz, Mason, senior

2000 – Michelle Munoz, Mason, junior

1999 – (TIE) Kaayla Chones, Eastlake North, senior; LaToya Turner, Pickerington, senior

1998 – Tamika Williams, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, senior

1997 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior

1996 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Hts. Trinity, junior

1995 – Beth Ostendorf, Pickerington, senior

1994 – Na’Sheema Hillmon, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior

1993 – Marlene Stollings, Beaver Eastern, senior

1992 – Katie Smith, Logan, senior

1991 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Hts. Trinity, senior

1990 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Hts. Trinity, junior

1989 – Carol Madsen, Reading, senior

1988 – Janet Haneberg, Cincinnati Seton, senior

OHSAA Official Press Release