Sparks’ Cameron Brink breaks silence on recovery from ACL injury

With so much attention rightfully being paid to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, fellow rookie Cameron Brink was almost guaranteed to be overlooked this season. Now that she’s out for the rest of the season, that promising talent will be out of the spotlight for good. However, that’s not a problem at all for the Los Angeles Sparks forward.

After suffering a torn ACL Tuesday night against the Connecticut Sun, Brink expressed his obvious disappointment in an Instagram post. But she also made sure to mention that she is “not defined by basketball.” Even though the former Stanford Cardinals star is extremely determined to come back next year better than ever, she’s still enjoying life.

“So much change, but so much joy,” Brink posted, alongside photos and a video of herself (on crutches) spending time with her boyfriend and dog. It’s hard for a professional athlete to separate the pain of her job from her daily life, but it’s essential. The second overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft doesn’t take for granted the other things she’s blessed to cherish beyond basketball.

Brink’s optimism is admirable, especially since her injury caused her to lose her spot on Team USA’s women’s 3×3 basketball team for the Paris Summer Olympics. However, she smiles despite adversity and encourages her teammates as she begins her recovery process.

The Sparks could definitely use Cameron Brink, that’s for sure.

Sparks Desperate for Answers in Freefall

Even before the 22-year-old was seriously injured, Los Angeles was struggling mightily. The team has now lost six straight games and currently sits in 10th place with a 4-13 record. Although Brink went through some offensive growing pains – she scored 7.5 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting – she is certainly missed.

The 2021 national champion’s impact at defensive end cannot be ignored, as she averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.1 steals in the 15 games she played for the Sparks this season. When she is healthy enough to return to basketball activities and shake off the rust, fans should expect Brink to further develop and establish herself as one of the WNBA’s rising stars .

There’s still a way to go before any of this can potentially come to fruition, but she seems to have the right attitude to face this long rehabilitation. Brink has had little time to breathe since the start of the 2023-24 college basketball campaign, so she could use this unfortunate setback to mentally recharge and stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

However, as many know, a fierce competitor like No. 22 is bound to make her presence known on the court again in the future. The LA Sparks will try to regroup in Brink’s absence and end their drought this Friday against the Phoenix Mercury (8-8).