Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has torn the ACL in her left knee, the team announced Wednesday. Brink's injury will sideline her for the remainder of the season and also rule her out for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was set to represent the United States' 3x3 squad.
Following the news, Brink released a statement on Instagram:
"You never think it will happen to you," Brink wrote. "And despite all the hard work sometimes it does. This is hard to fathom but I know it will only make me stronger. I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life- I'm not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it. It's not goodbye basketball it's just a see you later. I'm always so thankful for your thoughts and prayers."
The injury occurred during the Sparks' loss to the league-leading Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. Early in the first quarter, Brink caught the ball on the top of the key and drove to the basket against Brionna Jones. As she took a slight bump from the veteran, her left leg buckled and she collapsed to the ground in obvious pain.
She hobbled off the floor and eventually had to be carried to the locker room.
Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/5TptEkw65a
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2024
Brink, who won a national championship as a freshman with Stanford in 2021 and won Naismith Defensive Player of the Year last season, was the best frontcourt prospect in this class. She was already starting to fulfill that promise, particularly on the defensive end, where she was third in the league in blocks at 2.3 per game.
At that pace, she would have become the first rookie since Brittney Griner to average at least two blocks per game, joining some historic company. Here's a look at every rookie to reach that mark (min. 15 games played).
| Player | Team | Season | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|
Margo Dydek | Utah Starzz | 1998 | 3.8 |
Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | 2013 | 3.0 |
Cameron Brink | Los Angeles Sparks | 2024 | 2.3 |
Candace Parker | Los Angeles Sparks | 2008 | 2.2 |
Elena Baranova | Utah Starzz | 1997 | 2.2 |
Lauren Jackson | Seattle Storm | 2001 | 2.2 |
Sylvia Fowles | Chicago Sky | 2008 | 2.1 |
Lisa Leslie | Los Angeles Sparks | 1997 | 2.1 |
With Brink's rookie season officially over, here are her final stats over 15 games: 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks in just 22 minutes per game. In a little over a month, she had already earned the respect of MVPs such as A'ja Wilson and Diana Taurasi.
Given the extended WNBA offseason, all signs point to Brink being ready for the start of the 2025 season next May, though the Sparks have not made any official statement regarding her timeline.
In Brink's absence, the Sparks will turn to Li Yueru, who is in her second year out of China.
"We're praying and hoping for the best for Cam," Sparks coach Curt Miller said during his postgame press conference Tuesday. "But unintended consequences of injuries are it's going to open the door for someone like [Li Yueru] if that happens to be necessary."
The rebuilding Sparks have lost four games in a row and sit in 10th place at 4-11. Though just one game out of the eighth and final playoff spot, another lottery appearance seems likely, especially after Brink's injury, and that will be for the best longterm in Los Angeles.
