CINCINNATI — Purcell Marian senior guard Dee Alexander was named Wednesday afternoon as the Gatorade Ohio High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year for a second straight season.
The University of Cincinnati signee and McDonald’s All-American is a two-time Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient. This season’s Ms. Basketball winner is scheduled to be announced at noon Thursday. Alexander is a three-time finalist.
“She’s just been phenomenal for our program,” Purcell Marian girls basketball coach Jamar Mosley said. “She’s just a humble kid. She doesn’t have the big head. I’m just proud of the role model that she is.”
Alexander averages 20.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals for Purcell Marian (22-6), which plays Avon Lake (23-5) in the Division III state final at 1 p.m. Friday at University of Dayton Arena.
Alexander is enjoying her final week of high school basketball. She took time to reflect on her storied career earlier this week.
“Never thought it would be over so soon,” Alexander said. “Just everything went by so fast. In a snap of fingers, the season is about to be over at the end of the week. I enjoyed it. I’m grateful for everybody that I had. All of my coaches, all of my teammates. I’m just grateful for everybody.”
The Gatorade award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Alexander as Ohio’s best high school girls basketball player.
This is the fifth consecutive year a Greater Cincinnati player has won the Gatorade Ohio girls basketball player of the year award.
Alexander, a back-to-back winner, is on the same list with Solè Williams (2022-23, Princeton High School), Chance Gray (2021-22, Winton Woods High School) and KK Bransford (2020-21, Mount Notre Dame High School) for recent Gatorade state winners.
Alexander's legacy goes far beyond the basketball court.
“I tell people all the time — she’s a better kid than she is a basketball player,” Mosley said. “When your best player is your hardest worker. When your best player is your leader on and off the floor. When your best player does everything the right way in the classroom, in the community, on the court. It makes your job that much easier. When I say your job – I’m talking about myself. It makes my job that much easier to coach a bunch of 15- and 16-year old girls. She’s just been phenomenal for our program.”
Alexander, rated the nation’s No. 8 player in the 2025 class by ESPN, is No. 16 on the Ohio High School Athletic Association career points listentering Friday’s game. Alexander has 2,348 points – just one point away from tying for No. 15 on that scoring list.
Alexander became the OHSAA's all-time girls basketball state tournament scoring leader during the first half of the 2024 state final.
Purcell Marian is attempting to become the fourth girls basketball program in OHSAA history to win at least four consecutive state championships.
Mount Notre Dame (2006-09), South Euclid Regina (2000-03) and Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (2009-13) accomplished that feat.
Purcell Marian won the 2024 and 2023 Division II state titles and the 2022 Division III state championship.
