Iowa women’s basketball commit Ava Jones seriously injured Tuesday in Louisville

IOWA CITY — Two days after committing to the University of Iowa women’s basketball program, Ava Jones was seriously injured in a crash in Louisville, Ky.

According to a report by KWCH-TV in Wichita, Kan., Jones — a 6-foot-2 forward and a senior-to-be at Nickerson (Kan.) High School — is in serious but stable condition in a Louisville hospital.

Her parents, Trey and Amy, are in critical condition. Her brother reportedly has been treated and released.

According to reports, Jones and her family were standing on a sidewalk Tuesday when they were hit by 33-year-old Michael Hurley, who admitted he had just taken hydrocodone and was too tired to make a turn. Hurley was later arrested.

Jones’ AAU team, Wheat State Elite, was in Louisville for a tournament.

Originally an Arizona State commit, Jones reopened her recruitment after an ASU coaching change, and picked the Hawkeyes the second time around.

“They’ve got a winning culture, they’ve got a big fan base, they’ve got Iowa City,” Jones told The Gazette on Sunday.

“(Assistant coach) Abby (Stamp) watched me at a few tournaments, reached out to my club, then reached out to me.

“I got on the phone with Coach (Lisa) Bluder, and the conversation felt easy. I met the team, and I knew for sure that this was the place for me.”

Jones is ranked 83rd nationally among 2023 recruits by ESPN. She is Iowa’s second piece of the 2023 class, joining Illinois guard Kenisse Johnson-Etienne, who committed last Thursday.

She averaged 20.8 points, 15.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game as a junior as Nickerson High School finished 23-3 and placed fourth in the Kansas Class 3A state tournament.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com