Los Angeles Sparks (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Professional sports are sometimes a savage and unfair business, as a Los Angeles Sparks player learned over the weekend.

Per the WNBA official website, the Los Angeles Sparks waived 24-year-old center and former first-round pick Queen Egbo on Saturday, June 29th. That day, by the way, marks Egbo’s 24th birthday.

Egbo was acquired by the Connecticut Sun via trade with the Washington Mystics last month before getting waived earlier this month. She signed a contract with Los Angeles on the 22nd, only to be waived seven days later.

This isn’t the only instance in which a WNBA player has recently been cut during her birthday week. Just last week, the Indiana Fever waived Celeste Taylor a few days after her 23rd birthday.

Egbo was drafted 10th overall by the Fever in 2022. She has appeared in five games this season (two with the Los Angeles Sparks and three with Connecticut). In 75 career games, Egbo is averaging 2.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

The Sparks have had to make several roster moves this month. They lost star Cameron Brink for the season after she suffered a torn ACL in a June 18 game against Connecticut, leaving Los Angeles without one of their top players for the final stretch of 2024.

Unfortunately, Brink’s injury forced her to withdraw from the USA women’s basketball 3×3 Olympic team. The program later announced that her Los Angeles teammate, Dearica Hamby, would take Brink’s spot.

Los Angeles Sparks Are On A Seven-Game Losing Skid

At 4-14, the playoffs are starting to look like a pipe dream for the Sparks. They have now lost seven straight games, with four of the last five defeats determined by double-digit points.

Los Angeles will look to bust out of this losing skid on Tuesday night, when they host Washington at 10:00 p.m. EST. After that, the Sparks will welcome the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday.