Howdy,

The Los Angeles Sparks announced during the wee hours Tuesday that Candace Parker tore the lateral meniscus in her right knee and will be out approximately six weeks.

Parker injured the knee in the third quarter of Sunday's game against New York.

Parker missed all but the first 10 games last year due to a shoulder injury. She missed the first nine games in 2009 after giving birth.

Connecticut plays host to the Sparks tonight at Neon Uncasville (8 p.m., ESPN2). Oddly enough, it will be the third time in four years that Parker hasn't played at Mohegan Sun. She was suspended from the 2008 game after her involvement in a fight with the Detroit Shock, and she missed last year's game to injury.

(Los Angeles got by just fine without Parker at Connecticut last year - it made a ludicrous 15 of 29 3-pointers and won, 89-80.)

Parker is the second former WNBA MVP in less than a week to end up on the injured reserve. Seattle's Lauren Jackson suffered a labral tear in her left hip during a June 21 game against Tulsa and is out up to three weeks.

The Storm play at Connecticut Friday (7:30 p.m.)

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Great Britain bowed out of the tournament with a fight as it took Russia to the limit Monday in a losing effort, 62-59.

Russia needed to win to advance to the quarterfinals and needed a Elena Danilochkina 3-pointer with 48 seconds left in the game to pull ahead.

Great Britain had been eliminated from advancing prior to the game. It has an automatic bid to the 2012 Summer Olympics, however, as it's the host team.

Johannah Leedham shot 4 of 10 for 11 points with eight rebounds for Great Britain. Connecticut's 2010 third-round pick averaged 12 points during the tournament.

The day's other notable result was Turkey beating Belarus, 65-56, in a tournament eliminator. Belarus' loss is notable as it placed fourth last October at the FIBA World Championships.

The quarterfinals start Thursday with Latvia v. Russia and Croatia v. Czech Republic.

Friday, destiny's darlings Montenegro plays Turkey, and Sandrine Gruda and France play Lithuania.

Three teams remain that placed in the top eight at last October's FIBA World Championships — the Czech Republic (silver), France (sixth) and Russia (seventh).

The most notable team missing is bronze medal winner Spain. It was stunned by Croatia Sunday (75-71) and knocked out of EuroBasket.

Vaya con dios….