A sister of American basketball star Kawhi Leonard was one of two women sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the murder of an elderly woman in a California casino in 2019.

According to US media reports, the sentence was handed down against Leonard’s sister Kimesha Williams and co-accused Candace Townsel on Friday.

They were convicted in February for the August 31, 2019 murder of Afaf Assad, 84, in a bathroom at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

It is reported that Assad had gone to the casino and her husband, and had in her possession a purse containing approximately US$1,000 for gambling. When the elderly woman went into a bathroom, Williams allegedly followed her while Townsel acted as a lookout.

It is understood that a loud thud was heard by a woman in another stall and, shortly after, Williams and Townsel were seen fleeing.

Assad was reportely found lying on the floor, bleeding and suffering from a fractured skull. She died a few days later.

Leonard, whose own father was a murder victim in 2008, plays for the NBA Clippers in the NBA.