Ava Jones’ chance for a miracle comeback to the court has regrettably ended.

The Iowa women’s basketball rising sophomore will medically retire from the sport while remaining on scholarship, the institution announced Friday morning. The decision derives from catastrophic injuries Jones suffered shortly after committing to the Hawkeyes in July 2022, when an impaired driver hit with her and her family on a sidewalk in Louisville, Kentucky, while attending an AAU tournament. Jones lost her father in the tragedy, and her mother sustained major injuries as well.

“We wish Ava the best on the road to recovery and fully support the decision she made to step away from the game,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen said in a school announcement. “She worked tirelessly to get to this point, but she made the best decision for herself and her well-being.”

After numerous surgeries, most notably to address a serious brain injury and multiple damaged ligaments in both knees, Jones redshirted during the 2023-24 season with aspirations of returning at some time in her Iowa career. Jones didn’t travel with the club last season. But she attended almost every Iowa home game while sitting behind the Hawkeyes’ bench, remaining a crucial part of Iowa’s amazing campaign.

“There’s no way we’re going to give up on a kid who supported us, who believed in us,” former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said in November 2022 while announcing Jones’ signing. “It’s not just about basketball. It’s about integrity.”

In January, Jones started a YouTube channel that highlighted different phases of her recuperation and offered hope that progress was rising. Her most recent video posted on April 20 shows Jones shooting in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and earned more than 19,000 views with 130-plus encouraging comments.

However, according to the announcement, a medical exclusion was decided following discussions with team doctors and trainers. Jones will continue studying toward her degree at Iowa without a financial disruption, but her scholarship will no longer count against the Hawkeyes’ ledger coming forward.

Previously maxed out at 15 scholarships for next season, Iowa can now dive back into the transfer portal if it wishes. The Hawkeyes poked around with Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda last month before she chose South Carolina, causing many to wonder how the Hawkeyes planned to manage the scholarship situation if it happened. Iowa would’ve certainly had to get inventive with a NIL contract to accomplish so.

Now, the Hawkeyes have a clear position open while continuing to uphold their promise to Jones amid a tragic scenario.

“I would like to start by stating how grateful I am to have been a member of the Iowa women’s basketball program, Jones stated in a release. “I am tremendously grateful to have been a part of the trip last season.

“It is with tremendous sadness to say that I am medically retiring from college basketball. My coaches, physicians, teammates and trainers have been fantastic since the accident. While I will no longer be a member of the women’s basketball program, I will still be on scholarship, obtain a world-class education and forever remain 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.