Former Buff Jenny Circle Passes Away, Memorial Set

BOULDER — Former University of Colorado women's basketball player Jenny Circle, who competed for the Buffaloes from 1996 to 1999 and was CU's Newcomer of the Year during the 1997-98 season, passed away October 14, 2025, at the age of 47.

A native of Menlo Park, Calif., Circle transferred to Colorado from Southern California in 1996 after one season with the Trojans. She sat out the 1996-97 campaign per NCAA transfer rules before emerging as one of the Buffs' top scorers a year later under head coach Ceal Barry. She practiced with the that team that won the inaugural Big 12 Tournament championship.

"Jenny was beloved by her former teammates and coaches," Barry said. "She had such a magnetic personality. We are all saddened by her loss."

In her first start as a Buff, Circle scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in an 84-68 win over BYU on November 21, 1997 — earning both Big 12 Rookie of the Week and CU Athlete of the Week honors. She went on to average 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds that season, appearing in all 28 games with 14 starts, while shooting 82 percent from the free throw line.

Barry often praised Circle's quickness and offensive mindset, calling her "a scorer with a great touch who could run the floor as well as anyone." Circle's performance helped CU earn a berth in the Women's NIT, marking the program's seventh postseason appearance in eight years.

Circle's career was cut short the following season when she suffered a torn ACL in CU's third game of 1998-99 against Oregon. Though she was medically cleared to return, she opted to forgo her final year of eligibility to pursue graduate school, graduating from Colorado in May 1999 with a bachelor's degree in communication.

"It was a tough decision because I really enjoyed my three years here," she said at the time. "But I wanted to take my life in a different direction."

Before her time in Boulder, Circle starred at Sacred Heart Prep in Menlo Park, where she helped lead her team to back-to-back California state championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95. A Parade All-America third-team and USA Today All-USA honorable mention selection, she averaged 25.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and five blocks as a senior.

She was also named Northern California Player of the Year and the GPSL League and CCS Most Valuable Player as a senior.

After her CU career, Circle returned to the Bay Area, where she became a respected coach, educator and fundraiser. She served as a teacher and basketball coach at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, where she was remembered as an "exuberant mentor" who inspired confidence and joy in her players and colleagues alike.

"Jenny was a wonderful teammate and person — full of energy, positivity, and compassion," Barry said. "She represented what it means to be a Buff: she competed hard, cared deeply about her teammates, and made everyone around her better."

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m. at the Religious of the Sacred Heart, 140 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton, California.

Circle is survived by her children, Thomas and Lilly Cronin, her mother, Candace Circle, a sister, Jamie Circle, a sister, Lori Circle Solon and a nephew, Ryan Solon.

Colorado University Athletics

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