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Focusing on academics during a week she hopes ends with her first state basketball championship, another lofty honor was the last thing on Sydney Mobley’s mind when she and her Big Walnut teammates were called to the school gymnasium March 10.
With Mobley’s parents, David and Andrea, among a small group awaiting the Golden Eagles, Sydney was announced as this season’s Ms. Basketball award winner as voted on by members of the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.
The news was made public at noon March 12.
“I was very surprised because I just came from math class, but I was really excited to hear that,” said Mobley, a 6-foot-2 junior forward. “I’ve worked so hard. I was just really happy to hear that.”
Averaging 20.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, Mobley has led Big Walnut (23-4) to its second consecutive Division II state tournament. The Golden Eagles face Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (26-0) in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Vandalia Butler.
Mobley is a two-time first-team all-state honoree and this year’s Central District Player of the Year. She enters the state tournament with 1,485 points, 829 rebounds, 227 assists, 185 steals and 144 blocks for her career.
Related story: How Big Walnut's Sydney Mobley became a top-ranked basketball recruit
Mobley helped Olentangy to its first regional tournament in 26 years as a freshman, then transferred to Big Walnut before her sophomore year and led the Golden Eagles to state for the first time. Owner of 42 college offers, including Ohio State, Mobley is a four-star recruit and the top player statewide, according to both ESPN and 247Sports.
The Ohio Ms. Basketball award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted on by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association since 2017.
Mobley is the fourth Columbus-area player to win Ms. Basketball and first since Brookhaven’s Brittany Hunter in 2003. The others, Latoya Turner (1999) and Beth Ostendorf (1995), played at Pickerington.
The eighth junior to win the award, Mobley pulled away in the voting. She earned 93 points, well ahead of runner-up and Ohio State commit Tatiana Mason from Lyndhurst Brush (59).
Kettering Fairmont’s Kayla Thornton was third (37) and Olentangy point guard and Kent State signee Whitney Stafford was fourth (32).
“It’s so exciting,” Big Walnut coach Carey Largent said. “When you watch a kid work like she’s worked … I’ve had the privilege of knowing her since she was in fourth grade, so I’ve seen the progression, and to see what it has progressed to, this type of award and achievement is pretty cool.”
The Big Walnut-Mount Notre Dame winner will play Akron Hoban or Olmsted Falls in the state final at 5:15 p.m. March 14 at University of Dayton Arena.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Mobley said. “I am so glad that as a team, we’ve come together and we’re getting more and more locked in every day as we approach these next two games.”
2026 – Sydney Mobley, 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, Cincinnati Princeton, senior
2013 – Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, senior
2012 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, senior
2011 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, junior
2010 – Natasha Howard, Toledo Waite, senior
2009 – Kendall Hackney, Cincinnati 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, 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 Heights Trinity, senior
1996 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Heights Trinity, junior
1995 – Beth Ostendorf, Pickerington, senior
1994 – Na’Sheema Hillmon, Garfield Heights Trinity, senior
1993 – Marlene Stollings, Beaver Eastern, senior
1992 – Katie Smith, Logan, senior
1991 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights Trinity, senior
1990 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights Trinity, junior
1989 – Carol Madsen, Reading, senior
1988 – Janet Haneberg, Cincinnati Seton, senior
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2026 Ohio Ms. Basketball awarded to Big Walnut's Sydney Mobley
Continue reading...
With Mobley’s parents, David and Andrea, among a small group awaiting the Golden Eagles, Sydney was announced as this season’s Ms. Basketball award winner as voted on by members of the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.
The news was made public at noon March 12.
“I was very surprised because I just came from math class, but I was really excited to hear that,” said Mobley, a 6-foot-2 junior forward. “I’ve worked so hard. I was just really happy to hear that.”
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Averaging 20.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, Mobley has led Big Walnut (23-4) to its second consecutive Division II state tournament. The Golden Eagles face Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame (26-0) in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. March 13 at Vandalia Butler.
Mobley is a two-time first-team all-state honoree and this year’s Central District Player of the Year. She enters the state tournament with 1,485 points, 829 rebounds, 227 assists, 185 steals and 144 blocks for her career.
Related story: How Big Walnut's Sydney Mobley became a top-ranked basketball recruit
Mobley helped Olentangy to its first regional tournament in 26 years as a freshman, then transferred to Big Walnut before her sophomore year and led the Golden Eagles to state for the first time. Owner of 42 college offers, including Ohio State, Mobley is a four-star recruit and the top player statewide, according to both ESPN and 247Sports.
The Ohio Ms. Basketball award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted on by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association since 2017.
Mobley is the fourth Columbus-area player to win Ms. Basketball and first since Brookhaven’s Brittany Hunter in 2003. The others, Latoya Turner (1999) and Beth Ostendorf (1995), played at Pickerington.
The eighth junior to win the award, Mobley pulled away in the voting. She earned 93 points, well ahead of runner-up and Ohio State commit Tatiana Mason from Lyndhurst Brush (59).
Kettering Fairmont’s Kayla Thornton was third (37) and Olentangy point guard and Kent State signee Whitney Stafford was fourth (32).
“It’s so exciting,” Big Walnut coach Carey Largent said. “When you watch a kid work like she’s worked … I’ve had the privilege of knowing her since she was in fourth grade, so I’ve seen the progression, and to see what it has progressed to, this type of award and achievement is pretty cool.”
The Big Walnut-Mount Notre Dame winner will play Akron Hoban or Olmsted Falls in the state final at 5:15 p.m. March 14 at University of Dayton Arena.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Mobley said. “I am so glad that as a team, we’ve come together and we’re getting more and more locked in every day as we approach these next two games.”
Ohio Ms. Basketball winners
2026 – Sydney Mobley, 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, Cincinnati Princeton, senior
2013 – Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, senior
2012 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, senior
2011 – Ameryst Alston, Canton McKinley, junior
2010 – Natasha Howard, Toledo Waite, senior
2009 – Kendall Hackney, Cincinnati 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, 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 Heights Trinity, senior
1996 – Semeka Randall, Garfield Heights Trinity, junior
1995 – Beth Ostendorf, Pickerington, senior
1994 – Na’Sheema Hillmon, Garfield Heights Trinity, senior
1993 – Marlene Stollings, Beaver Eastern, senior
1992 – Katie Smith, Logan, senior
1991 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights Trinity, senior
1990 – Vonda Ward, Garfield Heights Trinity, junior
1989 – Carol Madsen, Reading, senior
1988 – Janet Haneberg, Cincinnati Seton, senior
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2026 Ohio Ms. Basketball awarded to Big Walnut's Sydney Mobley
Continue reading...
