Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame High School junior KK Bransford was announced as Ohio’s Ms. Basketball Wednesday by a statewide media panel.
Now in its 34th year, the prestigious award was first given by the Associated Press in 1988. It has been voted by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association since 2017.
This past season, Bransford led the Cincinnati Girls Greater Catholic League in scoring (21.4), assists (5.1), field goal percentage (51.5) and steals (3 per game) and she was third in the league in rebounding (6.4). The 5-foot-10 all-purpose has now played in an incredible 72 consecutive winning basketball games for Mount Notre Dame, which includes two state championships. Had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic cancellation of the 2020 state tournament, it may have been three state titles as MND was also 28-0 a year ago.
In the 2021 state tournament, Bransford nearly delivered back-to-back triple-doubles. In the semifinal against Toledo Notre Dame Academy she had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. She followed that up with 21 points 10 assists and eight boards against Newark in the championship game. To make her accolades even more notable, Bransford has played three seasons alongside Laila Phelia, a Michigan signee and McDonald’s All-American nominee.
Newark senior Emma Shumate was the Ohio Ms. Basketball runner-up. Other finalists were Laurel senior Taylor Thierry, Berlin Hiland senior Zoe Miller, Toledo Notre Dame Academy junior Grace Van Slooten and Aurora senior Shyanne Sellers.