The 2024 WNBA season has been a tough one for the Los Angeles Sparks. They are 4-11 after their loss to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night. But, even worse, they could be without star rookie Cameron Brink for the foreseeable future.
The No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Stanford was forced out of the game on Tuesday with what looked like a knee injury. While driving to the basket in the first quarter, she slipped and suffered the injury.
Cameron Brink was able to hobble off the court and to the sideline but was helped by staff members into the locker room. She did not return to the game, not even playing four minutes before her evening came to an end.
It is a potentially brutal blow to the Los Angeles Sparks. Cameron Brink has been making an impact on both ends of the court. She is averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. The blocks per game are tied for second in the WNBA with Las Vegas Aces star, A’ja Wilson.
Unfortunately, losing starters to injury is something that head coach Curt Miller has gotten accustomed to. He was the head coach for the Sun from 2016-2022 and noted that in all but one season, he has lost at least one starter to injury as a head coach in the WNBA.
“[Injuries] are part of the WNBA, unfortunately,” Miller said. “You just have to have the mentality of next person up and rally around it. Does an injury open a door for someone else to really start to blossom and gain confidence? You look at my time in Connecticut … someone went down, someone else stepped up.
“So we’re praying and hoping for the best for Cam. But unintended consequences of injuries are it’s going to open the door for someone like [Li Yueru] if that happens to be necessary.”
He was unable to provide an update on the status of Cameron Brink after the game, as the plan is to evaluate her on Wednesday. Given how gingerly she walked off the court, it would be fair to assume that she could be sidelined for a little while.
The Los Angeles Sparks are set to face off against the New York Liberty in their next two games, playing Thursday and Saturday. Missing games in the WNBA season is certainly a concern, but the focus will also turn to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Cameron Brink is one of the four members set to play on the women’s 3×3 team. Depending on the severity of the injury, a change to that group could be coming as well.
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