Ex-WNBA player's mom dies in car crash involving illegal immigrant, officials say

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem slams Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during visit to Illinois on Aug. 8, 2025.

The mother of former WNBA player Sophie Brunner was identified as the victim of a head-on collision involving an illegal immigrant, Illinois officials said on Tuesday.

Darcy Connolly-Brunner, 61, and Rolando Ico-Choc, 30, both died when Ico-Choc drove his Nissan Altima crossed the center line on Illinois Route 26 in Stephenson County into Connolly-Brunner’s Ford Edge on Aug. 9, Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said at a press conference. 

Both were killed in the crash.

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Sophie Brunner, #25 of the Phoenix Mercury, poses for a photo during Media Day on May 8, 2017 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Stovall said it was believed that Ico-Choc was a Guatemalan national who had lived in Freeport once before and that alcohol may have played a role in the crash, according to WIFR-TV.

"One of the lives was someone I knew well, Darcy Connolly-Brunner," Stovall added. "Darcy was more than just a member of the community, she was a friend. She was a kind and giving person who cared deeply for her family and friends."

Stovall also revealed that Ico-Choc had a criminal past. Records show that he was charged with aggravated DUI with a license suspended or revoked in 2023. Officials said there was no indication that Connolly-Brunner was under the influence.

Illinois state Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said Homeland Security officials confirmed with him that Ico-Choc was in the country illegally. He called for the repeal of the TRUST Act and the SAFE-T Act, which he said contributed to