OPSWA releases 2024 Ohio Ms. Basketball Nominees

In 2022, it was announced that the annual Ohio Mr. Football and Ms./Mr. Basketball Awards will now be determined by a vote of all OPSWA members.
 
The voting process is similar to that used to determine the Heisman Trophy in college football. Each OPSWA member can vote for up to three selections, ranking them in order, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Each first-place selection is awarded three points, each second-place selection is awarded two points, and each third-place selection is awarded one point.
 

Finalists listed in alphabetical order. Bio text listed below as received from OPSWA district chairs.
 
Dee Alexander, Purcell Marian (Cincinnati), 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, Anthony Wayne (Whitehouse), 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 (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, Laurel (Shaker Heights), 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, Hiland (Berlin), 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 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