The mother of former Phoenix Mercury and Arizona State University basketball player Sophie Brunner died in a head-on crash in Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Darcy Connolly-Brunner was 61 years old. TMZ was the first to report the news.
The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office shared on social media that they responded to the crash around 12:38 p.m. The fatal accident happened in Orangeville, Ill. PEOPLE has contacted the SCSO for more information.
The collision happened on Illinois Route 26 North near Oneco Road. Police said a Nissan Altima, driven by Rolando Ico-Choc, was going south on Route 26 when it went into the northbound lane and hit Connolly-Brunner. Ico-Choc, 30, survived the crash.
“As part of the investigation, deputies are looking into whether alcohol impairment by Mr. Ico-Choc may have played a role in the crash,” the SCSO said. “There is no sign that Ms. Connolly-Brunner was impaired.”
The SCSO also said, “Toxicology testing will be done during the autopsy, and results may take several weeks.”
The emergency response involved the Orangeville Fire Department, Winslow Fire Department, Cedarville Fire Protection District, Leamon’s Ambulance Service, the Stephenson County Coroner’s Office, and the Illinois State Police Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit.
Brunner grew up in Freeport, Ill., and was a star basketball player at Aquin High School, leading her team to several state titles in her junior and senior years, according to TMZ. She played forward for ASU, was named First Team All-PAC-12 three times (2015–2017), and helped the Sun Devils reach the NCAA Tournament each season.
In 2017, the Mercury signed her as a free agent and traded her to the San Antonio Stars before the end of the season. She later played professional basketball in Italy and coached students at Rockford Christian Schools.
