Naperville Central’s Natalie Jordan is happy she returned. So are the red-hot Redhawks, who are back too.

Naperville Central’s Natalie Jordan thought she was finished with basketball.

Jordan opted not to play for the Redhawks when she was a sophomore, despite having been what coach Andy Nussbaum called “one of our better freshmen.”

“I thought I was going to focus on soccer,” Jordan said. “My sophomore year, I was considering playing college soccer, and I decided that basketball was going to be too much. It wasn’t as fun for me anymore.”

Jordan remained resolute about her decision and didn’t try out for the team her junior year. Then something shifted.

“I realized I was missing out on a lot of fun memories with my friends,” she said. “So about three weeks into the season I decided that I wanted to play for my friends, not with the intention of being a starter or anything.”

Nussbaum welcomed her back.

“She came to a game and said, ‘I made a mistake. I want to play,’” Nussbaum said. “So we brought her back in, and there were a lot of bumps in the road early on.

“But this year she’s doing all I’m asking her to do. I don’t think you can say anything better about a player than that.”

Indeed, the 5-foot-9 Jordan is thriving in an unanticipated role in her senior season.

“Nussbaum definitely threw me a curve this year,” she said. “He was like, ‘You’re going to be a post player.’ I’m not the tallest post player ever, but it’s important to be physical.”

Jordan is good at that, often holding her own defending forwards and centers.

But she proved Friday that she’s got some offensive skills, too, scoring a career-high 10 points to go with four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot as the host Redhawks beat crosstown rival Naperville North 59-46.

It was the first time Naperville Central has beaten Naperville North since a 2018 regional final and ended the Huskies’ bid for a fifth consecutive DuPage Valley Conference championship.

“I’m really happy with how we played as a team,” Jordan said. “It wasn’t an individual effort. If we hadn’t played together as a team, we wouldn’t have won, so it feels really good.”

Freshman sensation Trinity Jones paced the Redhawks (19-10, 6-3) with 19 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Freshman guard Erin Hackett added 10 points, and sophomore guard Callie Tumilty contributed nine points, seven steals and five assists.

Senior guard Abby Drendel led the Huskies (19-10, 6-3) with 14 points.

Jordan scored six points in the first half and added a pair of free throws during a 13-1 third-quarter run that gave the Redhawks a 36-27 lead.

“My job is typically to just be a defensive threat, less than an offensive threat,” Jordan said. “But I’m happy I could provide both for the team tonight.”

So were her teammates.

“Natalie is a special person for our team,” senior guard Megan Norkett said. “Obviously, we don’t do well without her. She’s able to rebound for us, get in the paint, defend well. She’s really important, and we’re really excited to have her.”

The Redhawks have won 13 of their past 14 games, lending excitement to Jordan’s final season.

“All these girls are like my best friends,” she said. “I’ve known all of them since elementary school. We all played for the Illinois Rockets at one point together, so all of the seniors have played together before.

“A lot of us play soccer together, too, so we’re all super close. We do a lot of things together outside of basketball, as well, so I feel that really relays onto the court.”

Jordan, a midfielder, intends to play for Naperville Central’s girls soccer team again this spring, but she won’t play a sport in college. She’s going to focus on becoming a special education teacher like her mother Jen, who is a Naperville Central graduate.

“I love working with kids,” Jordan said. “A lot of my free time is spent with the special needs community. That is such a big passion of mine, making memories with them, helping them grow as individuals. It’s something that drives me to work hard.”

Nussbaum is glad to see that work ethic up close.

“I like to think it was a good decision, both her coming back and us letting her back,” he said. “I’m just really happy.”

So is Jordan.

“I had to earn my spot,” she said. “I had to work hard and work off some rust, but I’m really happy that I decided to come back, especially for my senior year.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.