Mobley is the 39th recipient of the prestigious award; has her team in the Division II state tournament
COLUMBUS, Ohio (3-12-26) – Sunbury Big Walnut junior Sydney Mobley was announced as 2026 Ohio Ms. Basketball Thursday by a statewide media panel. She will lead her team into the Division II state tournament this weekend, taking on Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame in the semifinals Friday night.
Now in its 39th year, the prestigious award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association since 2017.
Mobley tallied 93 points from the statewide panel. Lyndhurst Brush junior Tatiana Mason was the runner-up with 59 points, while Kettering Fairmont senior Kayla Thornton was third with 37 points and Lewis Center Olentangy senior Whitney Stafford was fourth with 32 points. Other finalists included Ottawa-Glandorf senior Karsyn Erford, Copley senior Evelyn McKnight and Steubenville senior Nylah McShan.
RELATED: 2026 Ohio Ms. Basketball Finalists Announced
Past Ohio Ms. Basketball Ohio winners
- 2026 – Sydney Mobley, Sunbury Big Walnut, junior
- 2025 – Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian, senior
- 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 winners: Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian (2023, 2024, 2025) and Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley (2017, 2018, 2019)
Won as junior (8): Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights. Trinity (1990, 1991); Semeka Randall, Garfield Heights Trinity (1996, 1997); Michelle Munoz, Mason (2000), Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley (2011), Kierstan Bell, Canton McKinley (2017), KK Bransford, Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (2021), Dee Alexander, Cincinnati Purcell Marian (2024), Sydney Mobley, Sunbury Big Walnut (2026).
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
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