Iowa basketball player Ava Jones announced her retirement from college basketball on Friday, nearly two years after the car accident that seriously injured her and killed her father.
In a statement released by the Hawkeyes, the forward said she will be allowed to remain on the scholarship, but will no longer be a member of the team.
Jones’ full statement:
“I would like to start by saying how grateful I am to have been a part of the Iowa women’s basketball program. I feel very blessed to have been a part of the journey last season.
“It is with great sadness that I announce that I am medically retiring from college basketball. My coaches, doctors, teammates and athletic trainers have been incredible since the accident. Although I will no longer be a member of the women’s basketball program, I will continue to be on scholarship, receive an education world class and forever be a Hawkeye.
“I would like to thank my family for their endless support and I am excited for the next chapter of my life.”
Jones was a four-star recruit and ESPN’s 84th member of the class of 2023but his career was derailed before he even took the floor for Iowa.
On July 5, 2022, Jones, his brother, and his parents were hit by a suspected drunk driver who drove his car onto the sidewalk in Louisville. The impact killed his father, Trey, and left his mother, Amy, with a brain injury and 21 broken bones, according to ESPN. His younger brother was only treated for minor injuries.
Jones reportedly suffered a traumatic brain injury, torn ligaments in both knees, and a shoulder injury, making her hesitant to play basketball again. She had committed to play at Iowa just two days earlier.
His injuries left his doctors and then-Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder amazed that he could even walk that October:
“I can’t believe he was walking,” Bluder said. via The Cedar Rapids Gazette. “The doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen a person come here with four torn ligaments in one knee and not cry.'”
The driver involved, Michael Hurley, was reportedly indicted by a grand jury and charged with one count of murder, two counts of first-degree assault, one count of fourth-degree assault, and one count of operating a motor vehicle under The effects of alcohol. A police report states he admitted to taking hydrocodone before driving.
