Purcell Marian’s Dee Alexander named Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year
In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade has announced Dee Alexander of Purcell Marian High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Alexander is the first Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Purcell Marian High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Alexander as Ohio’s best high school girls basketball player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Candace Parker (2003-04, 2002-03 & 2001-02, Naperville Central High School, Ill.), Paige Bueckers (2017-18, Hopkins High School, Minn.) and Juju Watkins (2022-23 & 2021-22, Sierra Canyon School, Calif.).
At the time of her selection, the 6-foot-1 junior wing had led the Cavaliers to a 26-1 record and a berth in the Division II, Region 8 championship game. Alexander averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.6 steals through 27 games with Purcell in pursuit of its third straight state title. The 2022 Division III State Player of the Year and the state’s 2023 Ms. Basketball winner, she is ranked as the nation’s No. 4 recruit in the Class of 2025 by espnW.
Alexander is the founder and organizer of CAMPDEE, a free basketball clinic for girls in greater Cincinnati that began in 2022.
“Dee has been a consistent scorer and rebounder her entire career, but her ability to get her teammates involved has been more impressive,” said Sydney Mason, head coach of Reading High School. “She is willing to play any role for Purcell to win. She contributes to their success with her stats, but her calm presence on the court is special. She keeps her team grounded.”
Alexander has maintained a B average in the classroom. She will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Alexander joins recent Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Players of the Year Sole' Williams (2022-23, Princeton High School), Chance Gray (2021-22, Winton Woods High School), KK Bransford (2020-21, Mount Notre Dame High School) and Madeline Westbeld (2019-20, Kettering Fairmont High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow Gatorade on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
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