Clemson women’s basketball, Shawn Poppie lose commitment from 5-star recruit
The Clemson women’s basketball team is losing its top incoming recruit.
Five-star 2026 guard Trinity Jones has requested and been granted release from her national letter of intent with Clemson, The State confirmed Saturday. ESPN’s Shane Laflin was the first to report the news of Jones’ departure.
Jones, a consensus five-star recruit from the Chicago area and the No. 7 overall recruit in the class, committed to coach Shawn Poppie and the Tigers last fall and formally signed her NLI in November 2025.
Now that she’s been released from her binding level of intent, Jones can sign with any other college program. Jones’ other four finalists last year were LSU (SEC), Tennessee (SEC), TCU (Big 12) and UCLA (Big Ten).
Jones told ESPN’s Shane Laflin that “her recruitment is officially open, and that she has begun communicating with schools,” according to a report on that website.
Jones was the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Clemson in the modern era and represented the Tigers in the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game earlier this week, where she talked about her excitement about joining Clemson this summer.
As of Saturday, though, Jones had removed all references to Clemson from her social media accounts.
The 6-foot-1 guard/forward averaged 28.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior at Naperville Central High School outside Chicago, where she broke Candace Parker’s single-game scoring record.
Jones had nine points and four rebounds in Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-American Game. She was the centerpiece of a five-person Clemson recruiting class that ranked No. 4 nationally per ESPN and was the Tigers’ highest ever ranked class.
Jones and her mother, LaSonja Jones, told The State in February that NIL and revenue-sharing money played a role in Jones’ recruitment but weren’t driving factors. Jones’ mother handled all financial conversations, and she and her daughter agreed money would be “the last thing we talk about.”
Jones said she was drawn to Clemson’s family atmosphere. This year, Poppie led the Tigers to a 21-12 record and only their second NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. Clemson lost to Southern Cal in the first round.
“It was all about my comfort: My comfort with them, with the way they play,” Jones said. “And I really love them all – from the coaches to the players, I love them all.”
She added of her decision to pick Clemson over other more established programs: “A lot of people were surprised. A lot of people were a little upset. But at the end of the day, it’s not about them. It’s about me. And I was happy with my decision.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2026 at 5:52 PM.
