Connecticut Sun forward Kennedy Burke will not play again this WNBAseason.
On Monday, the Sun announced Burke will miss the rest of the 2026 season because of a shoulder injury. The team said after talks with the medical staff, Burke was shut down to let an acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain in her right shoulder heal.Burke sustained the injury in a Sept. 6 matchup between Turkey and Australia at the FIBA Women's World Cup. Burke played 24 minutes and finished with 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block during Turkey's 87-71 loss. Turkey played one more World Cup game on Sept. 7 − a 75-71 loss to Puerto Rico − but Burke did not participate. The Turkish national team was later eliminated from tournament play.
Burke, who joined Connecticut
in the offseason, played 37 games for the franchise this season and started 14. She averaged 8.8 points on 40.1% shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
The Sun forward is the latest WNBA player to suffer an injury during the World Cup.
On Sept. 9, Dallas Wingsforward Alanna Smith was ruled out of the tournament with a lower leg injury. Smith played one game at the World Cup. In a Sept. 4 group phase game, she helped Australia win a 70-54 victory over Puerto Rico. Smith contributed 10 points and eight rebounds in 12 minutes. She limped off the floor following the injury and did not return There is no timeline for Smith's return to the WNBA.
Seattle Storm center and Australia national team captain Ezi Magbegor will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season with a torn ACL in her right knee suffered during the World Cup. The team announced the news on Sept. 10. Magbegor sustained the injury with six minutes remaining in the first quarter of a 82-80 win against Italy in Australia's quarterfinals qualifier on Sept. 9. As Magbegor drove in the paint for a layup, she made contact with Italy's Lorela Cubaj and fell to the court after attempting to hop on one leg.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sun's Kennedy Burke joins list of WNBA players with World Cup injuries
