Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes' Ava Jones Diagnosed with Cancer

Former Iowa Hawkeyes' women's basketball player Ava Jones has been diagnosed with cancer.

Evan Massey

Iowa forward Ava Jones watches during a NCAA women's basketball exhibition game between Iowa and Clarke University, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
Iowa forward Ava Jones watches during a NCAA women's basketball exhibition game between Iowa and Clarke University, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. / JOSEPH CRESS/FOR THE REGISTER / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

Former Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball player Ava Jones was forced to medically retire from the team in 2024. Now, there is some sad news that Jones has shared.

Kyle Huesmann of the Hawkeye Report has shared a post that Jones made on X. She has announced that she has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer.

You can take a look at Huesmann's post, which also includes Jones' announcement:

Back in 2022, tragedy struck Jones and her family. They were hit by a vehicle in an accident that took the life of her father, Trey Jones. Ava Jones suffered a traumatic brain injury and her mother, Amy, also was injured.

Following her brain injury, Iowa continued to honor her scholarship and she was on the team during her freshman season. However, she made the decision to medically retire from basketball last year.

For those who do not know what Hodgkin's lymphoma is, it is a form of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system

Mayo Clinic offers more information about the disease for those interested.

Here is the actual video of Jones making her announcement of the disease:

Hopefully, Jones will have a positive outcome and will be able to fight and defeat her disease. All of Hawkeyes nation will be behind her in her journey against the disease.

Our prayers are also with Jones as she battles back against cancer. It's a scary moment for her, but the love that she is and will receive from all Iowa fans and people around the country will help give her courage.

As more updates become available, we will make sure to share them.

Read More Iowa Hawkeyes Coverage

READ MORE: Iowa Hawkeyes Star Freshman Receives Major Hype

READ MORE: Chicago Bears Again Connected to Iowa Hawkeyes Star

READ MORE: 49ers Discussing Huge Contract Move with Former Iowa Star

READ MORE: Travis Kelce Opens Up About Iowa Hawkeyes Legend Caitlin Clark

READ MORE: Iowa Hawkeyes Facing Tough Competition for 2026 WR

Published
Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

Home/Basketball