OHIO — Ohio Prep Sports Media Association members are casting their votes for the 2025 Ohio Ms. Basketball Award.
There are 226 registered OPSMA member voting, which ends on March 10. Members vote in the same way that the Heisman Trophy winner is voted for in college football. First place receives three points, second-place gets two points and third-place gets one point.
OPSMA has presented the Ohio Ms. Bsketball award since 2017 when it took over the award from the Associated Press, who selected the winner from 1987 to 2016.
The winner of the award will be announced on March 12.
Meet this year’s finalists:
Dee Alexander is a 6-foot-1 senior at Purcell-Marian. Alexander was Ohio Ms. Basketball in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. She has averaged 20.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals for the state champion team. Alexander shot 63.4% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range. She was the Southwest District Division III Player of the Year and plans to play collegiately at Cincinnati. Alexander will also play in the McDonald’s All-American game.
Elise Bender is a 6-foot-1 senior at Whitehouse Anthony Wayne. Bender averaged 24.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.8 steals for her team. Wayne is currently headed to the Division II state semifinals, something Bender knows well after helping her team reach the Division I state semifinals in 2022. She has committed and signed to play at Villanova University. Bender had 1,918 career points and shot 67% 2FG, 41% 3FG and 86% free throws. Bender was also first team Division I All-Ohio and a Ms. Basketball finalist in 2024.
Another finalist is Naomi Benson from Streetsboro, a 6-foot-3 senior who led the Rockets to 23 wins. Benson had 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 steals, 2.6 blocks and 2.2 assists. She’s committed to Illinois and finished her career with more than 1,650 points and 1,250 rebounds.
Westerville South’s finalist is a 5-foot-8 junior guard who is the player of the year for Central District’s Division II: Ariyana Cradle. Cradle averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.9 steals. She missed her first two seasons because of injuries, but was a Power Five recruit.
The finalist from Springboro is Bryn Martin, who will play collegiately at Washington. Martin is a 6-foot-1 senior who averaged 23 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals. She shot 52.4% from the field, 37.6% from the three-point range and 86.8% from the free-throw line and was Southwest District Division I Player of the Year. Martin was also nominated for McDonald’s All-American game.
Tatiana Mason is a 5-foot-10 sophomore combo guard out of Lyndhurst Brush. Mason was named the Northeast Lakes District Player of the Year in Division III. She’s averaged 19 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and three steals. Mason is the daughter of 2000 Mr. Basketball winner Chet Mason.
Strasburg-Franklin’s nominee is 5-foot-11 senior forward Riley Thomas. She averaged a double-double of 18 points, 10.9 rebounds and shot 58% from the field despite the challenges from the defense. She’s collected several school records including career points, 1,617, career rebounds, 807, career wins, 79, and career field goal percentage, 61.5. Thomas is a three-time All-Ohioan.
The final nominee comes out of Berlin Hiland. Joplin Yoder is a 6-foot senior forward who led her team to their 30th Inter-Valley Conference title with 17 points and nine rebounds per game. Yoder has committed to playing at Ashland University.
