University of Evansville basketball player Jordan Scott dies in car crash weeks after transferring to play with sister

 September 9, 2026
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Jordan Scott, a sophomore on the University of Evansville women's basketball team, was killed in a single-vehicle crash on a rural Indiana road, just weeks after she transferred to play alongside her younger sister.

Scott's car left State Road 62 on a sharp curve in Warrick County late Sunday night, struck a utility pole, and came to rest on its side in a tree line roughly 20 miles from the Evansville campus. The Warrick County Sheriff's Office told WRTV that Scott was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time and was pronounced dead at the scene. The car sustained what officials described as "severe damage."

Deputies suspect speed played a role. They also believe the vehicle went airborne before impact. The stretch of road where the crash occurred is described by law enforcement as "very curvy" and unfamiliar to Scott, a Newburgh, Indiana, native who had only recently arrived at the university.

Scott had dropped off a friend shortly before the crash, which occurred at approximately 12:42 a.m. A witness observed the wreck, but neither the friend nor the witness has been publicly identified.

A promising career cut short on a Warrick County curve

Scott was a Castle High School graduate from Newburgh. Before college she competed with club programs Swish City, Pocket City, and IGB Select 40. Her high school résumé was strong: two-time All-SIAC first-team selection, two-time All-State Honorable Mention pick, and a first-team All-Metro selection, per her University of Evansville athletics biography.

She spent last year at Wabash Valley College before transferring to Evansville, a move that would have put her on the same Purple Aces roster as her younger sister, Jayden Scott, a freshman. The university confirmed the transfer had taken place only weeks before the crash.

That detail, two sisters finally on the same court, makes the loss harder to absorb. Jayden Scott had just gained a teammate and lost a sister in the span of a few weeks.

University and former teammates mourn Scott's loss

The University of Evansville posted a statement on Facebook the following Monday. It read, in part:

"A sophomore and member of the Purple Aces women's basketball program, Jordan was a beloved member of the University of Evansville community. Her loss is deeply felt by her teammates, coaches, classmates, friends, faculty, and all who had the privilege of knowing her."

The school confirmed it is making counseling and grief support services available to students, student-athletes, and staff.

UE Athletics addressed the Scott family directly in a separate post:

"Our thoughts are with her parents Mario and Amy, sister and teammate Jayden as well as her family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time."

Scott's former program at Wabash Valley College also posted a tribute. Former teammates remembered her warmly.

"She brought so much joy and passion to our team. Always knew how to put a smile on anyone's face or just light up a room. She will be deeply missed by all of us."

Wabash Valley's statement opened with a line that spoke for more than one locker room: "It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the passing of our beloved player, Jordan Scott."

Key questions remain unanswered

The Warrick County Sheriff's Office has not said whether a formal investigation has concluded or whether any citations will be issued. No official cause of death from a coroner or medical examiner has been publicly released. Speed remains a suspected factor, not a confirmed one.

How long Scott had been enrolled at Evansville before the crash is described only as "just weeks." Her academic standing and basketball statistics at the university were not detailed.

Jordan Scott was 20 years old with a decorated high school career, a college transfer that reunited her with family, and a season she never got to play. Her family, Mario, Amy, and Jayden, now carry the weight of a future that vanished on a dark curve in Warrick County.

Some losses land beyond politics. This one lands on a family, a team, and a community that did everything right and still got the worst phone call there is.

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