The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association released its list of
2024 Ms. Basketball finalists today. Members of the organization will
vote on the winner, who will be announced at noon on March 13. Voting ends at noon on March 11.
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.
A release went to all 224
OPSWA members.
2024 Ohio Ms. Basketball
Finalists
Finalists
listed in alphabetical order. Bio text listed below as received from
OPSWA district chairs.
Dee Alexander, Purcell Marian (Cincinnati), 6-1,
jrReigning 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 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 winners2023 – 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
