COLUMBUS — Cincinnati Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander was announced as the 2024 Ohio Ms. Basketball on Wednesday by a statewide media panel.

She won the award last year as a sophomore.

Loudonville senior Corri Vermilya was the runner-up.

Pickerington Central senior Berry Wallace finished third and Shaker Heights Laurel sophomore Saniyah Hall finished fourth.

Other finalists included Whitehouse Anthony Wayne junior Elise Bender, Bloom-Carroll senior Emily Bratton, Springboro junior Bryn Martin and Berlin Hiland senior Ashley Mullet.

Alexander is the seventh player to win the prestigious award at least twice.

Purcell Marian, winners of 25 consecutive games, could become the sixth girls basketball team in Ohio history to win three state championships in a row.

A state title is Alexander’s singular focus this weekend.

But, at the same time, the college recruiting spotlight awaits.

Alexander, who had 40-plus scholarship offers earlier this school year, has narrowed her college choices to 15 schools.

She wants to take additional visits before narrowing her options to four programs.

The 15 college programs include (in no particular order) Tennessee, University of Southern California, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Arizona, South Carolina, Iowa, Texas, Illinois, Louisiana State University, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

Alexander — ranked the nation’s fourth-best player in the 2025 class by ESPN — averages 18.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.6 steals.

Now in its 37th year, the prestigious Ohio Ms. Basketball award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988.

It has been voted by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association since 2017.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Greater Cincinnati has won the award, including Alexander (2024 and 2023) and Mount Notre Dame’s KK Bransford (2022 and 2021), who is now a sophomore guard at the University of Notre Dame.

Past Ohio Ms. Basketball Ohio winners

2024 – Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian, junior

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

Notable

Three-time winner: Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley (2017, 2018, 2019)

Won as junior (7): Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights Trinity (1990, 1991); Semeka Randall, Garfield Heights Trinity (1996, 1997); Michelle Munoz, Mason (2000, 2001); Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley (2011, 2012); Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley (2017, 2018, 2019); KK Bransford, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (2021); Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian (2024)

Won as sophomore (2): Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley (2017); Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian (2023)

Co-winners (1): 1999 – Kaayla Chones, Eastlake North and LaToya Turner, Pickerington