Ava Jones, a former Iowa women’s basketball recruit who was forced to medically retire because of injuries sustained in a car accident, was diagnosed with cancer in early 2025. She announced on her TikTok on July 24 that she completed her final round of chemotherapy.
Jones previously announced on her Instagram on Feb. 8 that she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“Thank you guys all for continuing to save my life every day,” Jones said in the new video. “It’s been a long six months, but I’ve had you guys to help me get through it, so it went by a lot better than for other people.”
“…Hopefully, I won’t have to do any more chemo, so we’ll find out September 3 if I’m in remission or not.”
Jones then thanked several of the individuals who were present before holding back tears and ringing the bell, signifying the completion of her treatment.
Jones announced her retirement from basketball in July 2024. The decision stemmed from severe injuries Jones suffered shortly after committing to the Hawkeyes in July 2022, when an impaired driver collided with her and her family on a sidewalk in Louisville, Kentucky, while attending an AAU tournament.
Jones lost her father in the accident, and her mother suffered significant injuries as well.
The driver was found guilty of murder and driving under the influence in October 2024.
After several surgeries to address a traumatic brain injury and multiple torn ligaments in both knees, Jones redshirted during the 2023-24 season with hopes of returning at some point in her Iowa career. She attended nearly every Iowa home game that year while sitting behind the Hawkeyes’ bench.
“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,” Jones said in a press release announcing her retirement. “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 in my life.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ex-Iowa women’s basketball player Ava Jones gives positive update on her cancer treatment
Reporting by Gus Martin, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
