Cameron Brink only played 15 minutes in the Los Angeles Sparks’ 78-58 blowout loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday evening, as she left the contest with an injury.
Brink tallied 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block while shooting 80% from the field in 15 minutes of action against the Valkyries.
What’s the Latest on Sparks Forward Cameron Brink’s Injury?
In the second half, Brink suffered an injury to her ankle. She was in quite a bit of pain and she wasn’t able to put much weight on her leg, with her teammates helping her off the court to be evaluated.
After the game, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said that she had no further update regarding the forward’s injury status because the team was in the process of evaluating her. The Sparks play the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, so their injury report later today will provide more information about the extent of the injury.
After being selected No. 2 overall by the Sparks in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the popular Brink suffered an ACL injury that ruled her out for the rest of her rookie season.
Despite making her comeback last season, Brink’s production has been inconsistent, never reaching the heights that established her as one of the best prospects in college basketball when she played for the Stanford Cardinal.
While speaking to reporters after the Sparks’ 88-83 win over the Seattle Storm last week, Brink detailed her growth in the WNBA since coming back from her injury.
“I feel very comfortable; the staff makes me feel very confident. KP (Kelsey Plum) is always in my ear, just super supportive. My rookie year, I think I came in and I just wasn’t ready for this league,” Brink said. “And I believe everything happens for a reason. Getting hurt, I did learn a lot.
“I’m obviously very far from perfect, but I think I’m just taking every day as an opportunity to get better. Hopefully that just continues to grow.”
Brink earned a reputation as one of the premier rim protectors in college basketball, winning three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Awards, the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2023, and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2024.
Before the Sparks’ game against the Phoenix Mercury last week, Roberts detailed the expectations surrounding Brink this season.
“I just want her to compete and not worry about the noise, not worry about any sort of narrative because most of them are false,” Roberts said. “So just compete. And she’s very coachable. She wants to learn and get better, so very pleased with where she’s at.”
This season, Brink has taken on a bench role for the Sparks and is averaging 9.2 points on 52.2% shooting from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc, along with 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game.
