Trinity Jones broke Candace Parker's single-game scoring record, won Ms. Illinois Basketball, and led Naperville Central High School to a DVC championship.
On Tuesday, June 16, the Naperville Sports Weekly Awards Show made it official: Jones is the 2026 Female Athlete of the Year.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard's season was defined by a December night against rival Naperville North. Jones poured in 44 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished four assists in an 83-51 DVC win on Friday, December 12, shattering the program record she'd already broken three weeks earlier with 43 against defending Class 4A state champion Kenwood on Friday, November 21.
Parker's old mark was 42. Jones topped it twice in 22 days.
For the full season, Jones averaged over 27 points and eight rebounds per game, earned First Team All-State and McDonald's All-American honors, and became only the second Redhawk ever named Ms. Illinois Basketball.
Parker, who led Naperville Central to the 2004 Class AA state title, was the first. Both played under head coach Andy Nussbaum, who still leads the program.
Jones did all of it coming back from a torn ACL suffered in May 2024 that cost her nearly all of the 2024-25 season.
"Honestly, I would just say winning the game," Jones told the Chicago Tribune after the November 21 win over Kenwood. "All the accolades, that matters, but it really doesn't. The biggest thing is we came back, and we won together as a team."
The Redhawks finished 25-7, claiming the DVC title on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with a 68-65 win over Waubonsie Valley and winning the Class 4A regional championship on Thursday, February 19.
Their run ended in the sectional semifinals against Waubonsie Valley on Tuesday, February 24.
Clemson commit Jones ranked No. 11 in the 2026 recruiting class by ESPN, first appeared on the NSW radar as a freshman when she won Newcomer of the Year while averaging 20.3 points and 12.7 rebounds.
The other Female Athlete of the Year nominees were Emma Briggs (Benet Academy), Danyella Mporokoso (Waubonsie Valley), Emerson Burke (Naperville Central soccer, 40 goals this spring), and Erin Hackett (Naperville Central, 2,048 career points).
Other 2026 NSW Awards Show winners
- Male Athlete of the Year: Cole Kelly, Neuqua Valley High School (2360 95th St). The sophomore averaged 20 points per game and helped the Wildcats set a school record with 32 wins.
- Team of the Year: Naperville North Boys Soccer (899 N Mill St), which won the DVC title and beat St. Laurence for the IHSA state championship.
- Top Play of the Year: Eddie Zoeller's state-winning goal for Naperville North boys soccer, struck during a long, rainy match.
The full 2026 NSW Awards Show, Season 19 of Naperville Sports Weekly, is streaming on NCTV17.org.
