Rookie Cameron Brink left the Los Angeles Sparks’ game on Tuesday, June 18 with an apparent knee injury, and the team later confirmed fans’ worst fears. Brink suffered a torn ACL, the Sparks announced Wednesday afternoon.
Though the Sparks did not release more information, at minimum, the injury ends Brink’s WNBA season and her 2024 Olympic hopes. Brink had been part of the 2024 women’s 3×3 team alongside the Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard, Hailey Van Lith, and ex-WNBA player Cierra Burdick.
Brink took to Instagram on Wednesday to thank fans for their well wishes and assure them that she will be back.
“You never think it will happen to you. And despite all the hard work sometimes it does,” she wrote. “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.”
Brink had an inconsistent rookie year before her injury but had shown the ability to compete with the best in the league. Through 15 games, she was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.
On Sunday against the Dream, Brink’s last full game, she had one of her best all-around performances of the season. In 24 minutes, Brink scored 16 points while adding 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
It’s always tough to see a promising young player go down with an injury, but Brink’s WNBA colleagues quickly came to her support in the hours after the news broke.
WNBA Players Share Their Support for Cameron Brink
With the Indiana Fever in action Wednesday against the Washington Mystics, Caitlin Clark was among the first WNBA players to face the media and field questions about Brink. She offered her fellow rookie her support.
“Obviously devastating,” Clark said. “You don’t want to see anybody deal with any sort of injury, and obviously not one of that magnitude. I know that she’s the type of person that will be able to get through it, and come out stronger, but it just breaks your heart.”
Clark, Brink, and Angel Reese are the three biggest names in the 2024 rookie class, and Reese joined the fray to offer her prayers.
“prayers for my sweet girl! @cameronbrink22 🙏🏽,” she wrote.
Reese also replied to Brink’s Instagram post with “love you barbie doll!”
Throngs of current WNBA players joined Reese in the Instagram comments, including Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Natasha Coud, Sabrina Ionescu, Kia Nurse, and Katie Lou Samuelson.
Brink’s teammate and Sparks’ leading scorer Dearica Hamby posted a collage of photos on X, writing above them, “Got you every step of the way .💜”
Shakira Austin, who missed the second half of last season with a hip injury, knows what it’s like to suddenly be pulled away from the game. She alluded to the grueling schedule WNBA rookies face, having to jump right into the WNBA season right after their college careers conclude. That time crunch has been exacerbated this year by a condensed schedule to accommodate the 2024 Olympics.
“Praying for Cam!!!🥺🤞🏼I really hope one day we can get the rest we deserve to be truly successful…,” Austin wrote via X.
Beyond the W
WNBA stars past and future joined the chorus of prayers for Brink. Paige Bueckers, the early favorite to be next year’s No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, posting a photo of Brink to her Instagram story, captioned, “Built for it 🤞♥️ God speed 🙏”
Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie commented “Sending you my love ♥️♥️♥️” on Brink’s post.
And if there was any doubt that the WNBA now reaches beyond the women’s basketball community, that should be put to rest, with Lindsay Vonn and Coco Gauff also replying to her post.
“Sending prayers up for Cameron Brink right now. Hoping that this is not a serious injury! 🙏🏾,” NBA legend Magic Johnson posted on X.
The Sparks are in action again Thursday night when they will visit Brooklyn for two games against the New York Liberty.
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