Implosions of a small neon Z‐pinch with 120‐ to 230‐kA current pulses are studied to establish neon plasma conditions appropriate for sodium‐neon photopumping experiments. Plasma compression and heating are determined from measurements of soft x‐ray, XUV, and NUV radiations from the ionization states: NeIII, NeVII, NeVIII, and NeIX. Changes in conditions of the imploded plasma with variations of the initial neon gas density and the magnitude of the driving current are described.