Due to her bad medical issues ,she has to step down ,iowa womens all time player…
Iowa women’s basketball second-year forward Ava Jones has medically retired from the sport, per a statement on Friday. Jones will stay on scholarship and continue to attend the University of Iowa to pursue a degree in sports media and culture.
Hailing from Nickerson, Kansas, Jones shone at Nickerson High School, posting 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game during her junior season, which earned her player of the year honors in Class 3A. She was also named as the No. 84 player in ESPN’s HoopGurlz player ranks.
Just days after Jones committed to Iowa in July 2022, she and her family were walking on a sidewalk in Louisville when they were hit by an erratic driver, badly injuring all of them. Her father Trey, 42, died from his injuries.
Jones suffered a brain injury, broken collarbone, and major structural damage to both knees, and wasn’t sure if she would ever play basketball again. The Iowa women’s basketball program quickly reached out and said the university would honor Jones’s scholarship whether she would be able to play or not.
“Getting her as healed as we can is our responsibility now,” then Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said.
Jones did take the floor during her senior season of high school and scored a basket, with the crowd later giving her a standing ovation. She eagerly posted her recovery process on social media, but was never able to make it on the floor during her freshman campaign with the Hawkeyes.
“It is with great sadness to announce that I am medically retiring from college basketball,” Jones said in a statement. “My coaches, doctors, teammates, and trainers have been amazing since the accident. While I will no longer be a member of the women’s basketball team, I will still be on scholarship, receive a world class education and forever be a Hawkeye.”
“We wish Ava the best on the road to recovery and fully support the decision she made to step away from the game,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said in a statement. “She worked tirelessly to get to this point, but she made the best decision for herself and her well-being.”
