Bay Area water polo star Maggie Steffens and her family are mourning in Paris after the sudden death of her sister-in-law. Lulu Conner, 26, passed away on Tuesday while in Paris to support Steffens at the Olympics. The news was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
“She was so excited for the Olympic Games,” Steffens told The Associated Press. “We’re really close. She’s the light of the world. She just brings so much joy to everyone. She always brings people together.”
The cause of Conner’s death remains unclear; the family is still awaiting answers regarding the fatal “medical emergency,” Steffens said. Conner was an artist who created her own version of Flavor Flav’s USA Water Polo clock for the Olympics. She was also a UC Davis graduate and one of three siblings. Steffens is married to Conner’s brother.
Steffens is pursuing her fourth consecutive gold medal with the U.S. women’s water polo team. Born in the Bay Area, she attended Monte Vista High School before becoming a star at Stanford. She holds the record as the highest-scoring woman in Olympic history with 58 goals.
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“It definitely helps to play,” Steffens said. “I’m so out of body, in a way, right now. And I just keep trying to remind myself what Lulu would want and how she would be, you know, how can I embody her spirit the best. And Lulu was somebody that she gave 150% to everything she did.”
Steffens mentioned that she left a bouquet of flowers in the Seine during Friday’s opening ceremony as a tribute to her sister-in-law.
The U.S. team is scheduled to play next on Monday against Spain.
