Iowa Basketball Faces Major Setback as Top Star Ava Jones Suffers Critical Injury
The Iowa Hawkeyes basketball team has encountered a significant setback with the news that their top star, Ava Jones, will be unable to play due to a critical injury.
Jones, who was seriously injured by an impaired driver in 2022, has decided to take a medical disqualification and retire from college basketball, as announced by Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen on Friday. This decision follows consultations with team doctors and athletic trainers.
Despite her retirement from playing, Jones will remain on scholarship and continue working towards her degree, with her scholarship not counting against the team’s limit of 15 active players.
Jones was part of the Hawkeyes roster last season but was never medically cleared to play. She expressed her gratitude and sadness in a social media post, stating, “It is with great sadness that I announce my medical retirement from college basketball. 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 program, I will still be on scholarship, receive a world-class education, and forever be a Hawkeye.”
The tragic accident that led to this decision occurred on July 5, 2022, in Louisville, Kentucky, where Jones was competing in an AAU basketball tournament. Her father, Trey Jones, was killed, and Ava and her mother, Amy Jones, were seriously injured when an impaired driver veered onto the sidewalk.
Ava Jones suffered a traumatic brain injury, torn ligaments in both knees, and a shoulder injury. Amy Jones sustained a brain injury and 21 broken bones. The driver, Michael Hurley, who admitted to taking the opioid hydrocodone before driving, was charged with murder and several counts of assault.
Jones, who was ranked 83rd by ESPN HoopGurlz for the class of 2023, had originally committed to Arizona State but changed her commitment to Iowa just two days before the accident. Iowa had assured her that her scholarship would remain intact regardless of her ability to play.
“We wish Ava the best on her road to recovery and fully support her decision to step away from the game,” Jensen said. “She worked tirelessly to get to this point, but she made the best decision for herself and her well-being.”
The absence of Jones is a considerable loss for the Hawkeyes, who will need to adjust their strategies and rely on other players to fill the void left by their top star.
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