Former USF Women’s Basketball Neena Pacholke Died Over the Weekend

Aug 30, 2022 - 2:08 AM

Former USF women’s basketball player Neen Pacholke died by suicide over the weekend, her sister Kaitlynn Pacholke confirmed to the Tampa Bay Times. She was 27.

Pacholke played high school basketball at Freedom then signed with head coach Jose Fernandez and the Bulls prior to the 2013 season.

After graduating from USF with a degree in Mass Communications, Pacholke moved to Wisconsin where she became a weekend reporter for the local ABC affiliate in Wausau. She announced her engagement via Instagram on July 28.

A Wausau Police Department spokesperson told TMZ:

“..Officers were dispatched to a home in Wausau on Saturday morning for a welfare check. When they arrived, they said they received no answer at the door. Eventually, officers made their way into the residence and found Pacholke deceased. “Foul play is not suspected.”

She announced her engagement via Instagram on July 28.

Check on your friends and family. It’s OK to not be OK. Our thoughts are with Neena’s family.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, reach out to the 24–hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741; or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay can be reached by dialing 211 or by visiting crisiscenter.com.