Former Clemson women’s basketball player dies at 33. Program mourns loss
A former Clemson women’s basketball player who recently started coaching at her high school alma mater died on Saturday, according to the Tigers program.
Clemson announced Monday that former player Quinyotta Pettaway died July 11. She was 33 years old. A cause of death wasn’t immediately available.
Pettaway, a native of Hertford, North Carolina, played for Clemson from 2010-14 under former coach Itoro Coleman. She averaged 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during her four-year career and appeared in 107 games with 57 starts.
Pettaway, a 6-foot-3 forward/center, ranks No. 10 in program history in career blocks (108), No. 11 in career rebounds (675) and No. 16 in career double-doubles (14).
After college, she briefly played professional basketball in Germany.
A standout high school player at Perquimans (NC) County High School, Pettaway recently returned to her alma mater to work as its head girls basketball coach. The 2025-26 season was her first at the school.
At the prep level, Pettaway won her conference’s volleyball player of the year and was an NC coaches’ association all-state team selection as a senior. She averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game her final season.
Perquimans County, North Carolina is in the far eastern part of the state, roughly two and half hours northeast of Raleigh.
This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Former Clemson women’s basketball player dies at 33. Program mourns loss."
