Naperville Central senior Trinity Jones opened her brief news conference Monday by thanking her teammates, coaches and family.
Then came the big reveal. Jones stood up and took off her tracksuit top, revealing a T-shirt emblazoned with her choice of college.
“I’ll make this simple and short because I’ve got open gym,” she said. “Basically, for the next four years, I’ll be going to Clemson University.”
Jones, who is ranked No. 9 in the class of 2026 by 247Sports, became just the second player in program history to commit to a Division I power conference. Candace Parker, the former Tennessee and WNBA star, is the other.
In choosing Clemson, Jones ended a recruiting process that began three years ago. Her other finalists were LSU, Tennessee and UCLA.
Clemson went 14-17 last season, but Jones was impressed by coach Shawn Poppie and his staff.
“I chose Clemson because it was more of a family fit for me,” Jones said. “I got to get to know all the coaching staff personally, and I just felt really comfortable there, and the playing style fits my playing style.
“They’re going to allow me to play versatile and also with structure at the same time, and I need a little bit of both. So I think it was a good fit.”
The 6-foot-2 Jones, who can play all five positions, said the fit was the most important piece of the recruiting process for her.
“I don’t want to go to a school and second-guess anything,” Jones said. “When I was there, I was able to be myself the whole time, so I’m just really excited.”
While the recruiting game can be stressful for some, Jones said she was grateful. She took official visits to all four of her finalists.
“It’s definitely a blessing to get offers from all around,” she said.
Naperville Central senior guard Erin Hackett was among the teammates who witnessed Jones’ announcement in the conference room of the school’s athletic office.
“I’m super happy for her,” Hackett said. “She deserves it all.
“She’s such a good player. Playing with her from sixth grade until now is kind of surreal, but I’m excited to play with her this season.”
Jones is excited to finish her high school career where it began. As a freshman, she averaged 20.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.2 blocks and 2.2 assists. She was voted the DuPage Valley Conference player of the year and was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s all-state first team.
Jones then transferred to Bolingbrook, where she played her sophomore season. After suffering a torn ACL in May 2024, she transferred back to Naperville Central.
Jones sat out nearly her entire junior season, returning to play six minutes in the Redhawks’ 61-42 loss to Yorkville in a Class 4A regional semifinal.
“It was really hard,” Jones said of her recovery from knee surgery. “Obviously, when things like that happen, it’s very unexpected. You don’t see that coming.
“I was going through a tough time, but I had my family and my friends with me. So it was honestly a blessing because my circle was there for me from start to finish, still to this day.”
Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum is excited that Jones is healthy. He also coached Parker, and together they won Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004.
“It’s nice to have a player of that caliber, and I think we have some very good players around her,” Nussbaum said of Jones. “I hate to compare too much to Candace, but when Candace was here, she wasn’t the only player we had.
“That’s the same thing here. You can’t do it with just one player, and I think we have some pretty solid teammates in their own right that are going to help us out.”
Indeed, the Redhawks (13-19) also bring back Hackett, a four-year varsity player who has scored more than 1,300 career points; 6-4 junior center Annabelle Kritzer, a three-year starter; and senior guard Colette McInerney.
Adding Jones to that group could make Naperville Central one of the area’s best teams.
“Mentally, with her recovery, she’s gone through a lot, but I think that’s good that she’s able to come back,” Hackett said. “You don’t know how it’s going to go, but I think she’ll really step up this season.”
Jones is looking forward to it.
“I’m excited,” she said. “We have a lot of good players. We got to get in the gym and get comfortable with each other.
“But we have a chance to be really good this year, and it’s really cool starting with Naperville Central and finishing with them too. It’s like my home. Having coach Nussbaum as my coach, it’s been an honor.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
