SOUTH BEND – Nearly 20 local 3rd-12th graders participated in Washington High School alumna Rashunda “Spider” Jones’ basketball camp at the Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center on Saturday, Aug. 8.
Some were familiar faces who have already made names for themselves, like Saint Joseph sophomore Arianna Rowell. Others were elementary schoolers who could eventually etch their names in South Bend’s rich basketball history a decade from now.
It was at the original Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center where Jones first honed her craft, too. A few years later, Jones was asked if she hoped to be the “water girl” at Navarre Middle School when she tried out for their team.
In 2022, she helped lead the Panthers to an IHSAA 3A state championship, then finished as Indiana Miss Basketball runner-up a year later. Now, Jones is a senior at Arizona State, playing for her third Power 5 program after making previous stops at Purdue and Michigan State.
However, before the Sun Devils’ season gets into full swing, Jones wanted to spend as much time with family and found family as possible. She also wanted to serve as an example to local youth that they can, and should, be proud to be from South Bend.
“It just warms my heart, and it gives me a sense of comfort,” Jones said. “I love pouring back into South Bend, especially because it poured so much into me. When you grew up with nothing, it makes you want to give to people who don’t have anything as well.
“At the end of the day, I want to come back to South Bend. After everything is said and done, I want to come back home. Home has built so much of my character.”
Awani Jones, Rashunda’s mother, was a big part in helping put plans for the camp together. Titled “SBI Legacy Homecoming: Celebrating Past, Present & Future,” the camp had instruction, a lunch period and a school supply giveaway. Rashunda’s passion for basketball and her hometown make Awani most proud.
“Keep them motivated, keep them encouraged; there’s better things out there than being in the streets,” Awani said. “She mentors them, and she just has a heart and a love for the kids. It makes me feel good that she’s giving back and making a difference in the community.”
Helping Rashunda with on-court drills and leading the camp was her former head coach at Washington, Steven Reynolds Jr.
It would’ve been nearly impossible to tell – given his comfort and energy in the gym – that this weekend was the first time Reynolds Jr. and his family had returned to South Bend since he left in May 2025 to become an assistant coach at UT Arlington. He said Jones called him in early July, asking him to be a part of her camp. It gave him all the reason he needed to come back to his hometown.
“She’s just one of those who never let go,” Reynolds said. “I consider her like a daughter, so when she’s doing something like this and she wants me to come home, it’s an easy deal.
“She just has that heart; she wants to share, and she wants people to be better than her and to have opportunities that she had … You can have all the success, you can win a state championship, you can run camps, people can pat you on the back, but at the end of the day, we just want to serve.”
Reynolds is a 1998 Riley alumnus and a Western Michigan University Hall of Famer, but he is perhaps most well-known as the coach who led Washington girls basketball to that state title and finished his 11 seasons with a record of 189-89.
That Panthers squad featured plenty of future collegiate players: Reynolds’ three daughters – New Mexico’s Mila Reynolds, UT Arlington’s Amiyah Reynolds and Colorado’s Kira Reynolds – as well as Akron’s Monique Mitchell and Winthrop’s Ryiah Wilson. Then, there’s Jones, whose 1,791 career points are third-most in Panther history, trailing only Notre Dame and WNBA legend Skylar Diggins, and Mila Reynolds.
It was made clear Saturday that Jones cares more about the personal impact she is leaving behind on South Bend, the West Side in particular, than she does about her past, present or future basketball-related accolades. Jones said if there’s one thing participants took away from her camp, it’s that a similar passion to her own was either maintained or ignited.
“I’m hoping these camps can help build character, and I’m hoping they’ll build the basketball aspect,” Jones said. “I feel like a lot of kids are either not wanting to play or they’re forced to play. I want them to want to play.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: How Washington girls basketball legend Rashunda Jones gives back to South Bend
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
