Iowa basketball forward Ava Jones, a former top-100 recruit who committed to play for the Hawkeyes before suffering serious injuries when an impaired driver collided with her and her family on a sidewalk in 2022, will take a medical disqualification and retire from the game of basketball, head coach Jan Jensen announced Friday.
"We wish Ava the best on the road to recovery and fully support the decision she made 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."
Jones' decision came after consultation with team doctors and athletic trainers. By taking a medical disqualification, Jones will remain on scholarship to work for her degree without impeding on Iowa's search for active players.
Jones, a sophomore, took to social media to announce her decision to the world.
"I would like to start by saying how grateful I am to have been part of the Iowa women's basketball program," Jones wrote in a message on social media. "It is with great sadness to announce that I am medically retiring 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.
"I'd like to thank my family for the never-ending support and I am excited for the next chapter of my life."
What happened to Ava Jones?
Jones' father, Trey Jones, was killed while she and her mother, Amy Jones, were injured on July 5, 2022, when an impaired driver swerved into them on a sidewalk in Louisville, where Ava was playing an AAU tournament. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, torn ligaments in both knees and a shoulder injury.
Following the incident, the Hawkeyes vowed to honor her scholarship regardless of whether she was able to return to the floor.
Jones chronicled her attempt at a return on her YouTube channel. A 6-2 forward, Jones averaged 20.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game during her junior season at Nickerson High School in Kansas. For her efforts, she was named Class 3A Player of the Year.
She spent the 2023-24 season traveling with the Hawkeyes, but she was never medically cleared to play.