With so much attention understandably being doled out to Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, fellow rookie Cameron Brink was almost guaranteed to be overlooked this season. Now that she is out for the rest of the season, this promising talent will be decisively outside the limelight. Though, that is not a problem at all for the Los Angeles Sparks forward.
After suffering a torn ACL last Tuesday night against the Connecticut Sun, Brink expressed her obvious disappointment in an Instagram post. But she also made sure to mention that she is “not defined by basketball.” While the former Stanford Cardinals star is extremely determined to return next year better than ever, she is still enjoying life.
“So much change, yet so much joy,” Brink posted, along with photos and a video of her (with crutches) spending time with her boyfriend and dog. It is difficult for a professional athlete to separate the pain of their job from their everyday life, but it is essential. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft is not taking for granted the other things she is fortunate enough to cherish, beyond just basketball.
Brink's optimism is admirable, especially since her injury is causing her to forfeit her spot on Team USA's 3×3 women's basketball squad for the Paris Summer Olympics. She is smiling through the adversity, though, and cheering on her teammates as she begins her recovery process.
The Sparks could definitely use Cameron Brink, that is for sure.
Sparks desperately searching for answers amid free fall
Even before the 22-year-old devastatingly went down with injury, Los Angeles was scuffling immensely. The team has now lost six consecutive games and presently sits in 10th place with a record of 4-13. Although Brink was working through some offensive growing pains– scored 7.5 points per contest on 39.8 percent shooting– she is certainly missed.
The impact the 2021 national champion has on the defensive end cannot be discounted, 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 resume basketball activities and shakes off the rust, fans should expect Brink to further develop and establish herself as one of the top rising stars in the WNBA.
There is a ways to go before all of that can potentially come to fruition, but she seems to have the right attitude to will herself through the lengthy rehab. There has been little time for Brink to just breathe since the 2023-24 college basketball campaign commenced, so she could use this unfortunate setback to mentally recharge and stop and smell the roses, so to speak.
Though, as many know, a fierce competitor like No. 22 is bound to make her on-court presence known again in the future. The LA Sparks will try to regroup in Brink's absence and end their drought this Friday versus the Phoenix Mercury (8-8).
Follow Us
Subscribe