Benet senior guard Ava Thomas is a bit of an anomaly.
In an era when many kids prefer to shoot first and maybe play some defense later, the 5-foot-7 Thomas relishes her time without the ball just as much as her time with it in her hands.
“Actually, defending is probably my favorite, so that’s led to my motivation to want to guard so hard,” she said. “I love guarding the ball. I love pressing. I’ve always taken pride in my defense.”
Those are sentiments Benet coach Joe Kilbride loves to hear. Thomas’ defensive efforts earned her a place on the varsity team as a sophomore, a significant role off the bench as a junior and a spot in the starting lineup this season.
“Ava’s a really good player,” Kilbride said. “She’s an elite defender and a very good shooter. She takes care of the ball, she passes to her teammates and her assist-to-turnover is really good.
“She’s been great all year long. We need her to be great.”
Benet’s Ava Thomas (5) guards Maine South’s Amelia Fernandez (10) during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)
That’s true now more than ever. The Redwings’ depth has been severely tested over the past few weeks as three starters were sidelined with injuries.
Senior guard Sailer Jones suffered a torn ACL in early January and is out for the rest of the season. Junior point guard Ava Mersinger and sophomore forward Lucy Tierney suffered injuries during a 44-37 East Suburban Catholic Conference loss to Nazareth on Jan. 28 that ended Benet’s 20-game winning streak.
Of more significance, it was the beginning of heightened pressure on Thomas to do more for the Redwings (22-3, 10-1), who are ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press. She was averaging 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals and had a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio before Benet’s 65-49 conference win against Joliet Catholic on Wednesday.
“We’re all struggling a little bit right now with kids out and we’ve got people playing new positions,” Kilbride said. “We really need Ava to be a leader for us right now.
“She’s fully capable of that, and that’s my expectation.”
The Redwings beat Marian Catholic 47-32 in conference action Jan. 31, their first game without Mersinger and Tierney, who hope to return in time for the playoffs that start Feb. 14.
But visiting Maine South routed Benet 58-30 on Monday. That was the Redwings’ worst defeat since Bolingbrook beat them 75-46 in a 2012 4A sectional final and was their largest margin of defeat in a regular-season game since 2008.
“I definitely feel like there’s more pressure and more weight on my back,” Thomas said. “But I think that this is just a bump in the road for us and we’ll be able to push through together.”
Benet’s Ava Thomas (5) dribbles the ball up the court under pressure from Maine South’s Gianna LaVecchia during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)
Benet senior center Emma Briggs, a Furman recruit, thinks the Redwings will be fine with Thomas at point guard.
“It’s definitely a hard transition, but she’s transitioned seamlessly into it,” Briggs said. “She was our 2, but now she’s our 1. She was a shooter. She has changed her mindset to more ball-handling than she was in the 2 position.”
Regardless of which position Thomas plays, one thing remains the same — her defensive effort.
How did Thomas become such a defensive stalwart?
“Definitely getting in the gym any time I can and working on my craft,” she said. “My coach definitely fueled me. I know that I have to play a certain role on my team, and I just learned to love defense.”
Thomas is doing it well.
“She’s played great defense, she’s taken care of the ball and she’s made shots,” Kilbride said. “She’s found a way to impact winning.”
The Redwings have done a lot of winning this season. How much more they do will depend a lot on the health of Mersinger and Tierney, of course. But they’ll count on Thomas to excel too.
“She’s very important in our plays,” Briggs said. “She facilitates. She shoots the ball well. She knows a lot of positions. She is very important because she is well-rounded in all those aspects.
“She’s a good teammate to play with, obviously, and she’s a great person.”
Benet’s Ava Thomas, right, and Maine South’s Emily Currey try to get into position to rebound during a nonconference game in Lisle on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)
Thomas, who wants to play in college but has not received any offers yet, said playing for Benet is a great opportunity.
“I’m really thankful, and I give all the thanks to my family and to God,” she said. “I’m just trying to soak in this last year and get as far as we can.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
