There were a lot of big prospects in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Obviously, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are getting the most attention because of how they've brought their college rivalry to the pros. But, a name that will not be overshadowed is Cameron Brink. The Los Angeles Sparks rookie was on her way to stardom but injuries derailed her first year. For now, she was seated on the sidelines of her team's clash with Sabrina Ionescu's New York Liberty.
Cameron Brink is currently suffering from a torn ACL. This has prevented her from being able to play alongside the Team USA 3×3 squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Moreover, the Sparks have also decided to give her ample time to rest for the season. As a consequence, the rookie was also not in the rotation during their clash against the Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart-led Liberty.
All of this did not stop Brink from supporting her friends and teammates when the WNBA games resumed after the Paris Olympics. Obviously, everyone was hyped up to see how the late-season Rookie of the Year battle between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese would play out. For the Sparks, they also had an interesting storyline. It is how they'd salvage their season despite already having endured 18 losses before the All-Star break. Brink endorsed the league to the fans such that they could watch the league return back after the month-long hiatus, via ESPN.
How did the Sparks perform without Cameron Brink?
It's safe to say that the Liberty kept the game away from the Sparks from the moment it started. Everything was lopsided. It looked like the team from Los Angeles stood no chance whatsoever of being able to get back into it. In fact, the Sparks only managed to notch 28 points in the first half. Those numbers would not even be enough to tie them with the Liberty's first-quarter production of 29 points. When the final buzzer sounded, the Liberty had won very convincingly with a 103-68 scoreline.
Stewie led the way by scoring 27 points. Clearly, her Olympics high has not yet subsided because she toyed with the Sparks' defense by knocking down 10 out of her 15 field goal attempts. Ionescu then followed suit by scoring 18 points of her own to seal the win-column entry. This now marks the 19th loss for the Sparks. There is not much hope that they can reach the postseason but the learnings they'll have moving forward will be invaluable.
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