The Los Angeles Sparks finally have their defensive anchor back. Cameron Brink is expected to suit up Wednesday night against the Minnesota Lynx after missing eight straight games with a serious left ankle sprain. The injury happened June 15 in a loss to Golden State, and Brink has been grinding ever since.
Head coach Lynne Roberts didn’t sugarcoat how bad the injury was.
“Her ankle sprain was really bad and she came back. She’s worked her a** off to get where she is right now. So she’s thrilled and obviously so are we,” Roberts said before the game. “She hasn’t played in a few weeks so I’m sure there is going to be some nerves and rust a little bit, and that’s to be expected. And I’m fine with that.”
Brink won’t play full minutes right away. Roberts confirmed she’s on a minutes restriction, likely similar to the 17-minute workload she was averaging before the injury. But even limited minutes could shift things for a Sparks team stuck near the bottom of the standings and trying to build momentum before the All-Star break.
What Brink Brings Back
Before going down, Brink was having her best season as a pro. Through 14 games (one start), she averaged 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. She shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from three. Her block rate put her in the top five in the league, and she’d become the clear interior presence the Sparks drafted her to be.
Roberts put it simply: “It’s rebound presence, it’s rim protection, there’s no one like her in the league in that regard.”
The Sparks need that badly. They’ve been uneven defensively without her, and while the offense has had moments, they’ve lacked a backline deterrent. Brink’s return should help stabilize things on that end immediately.
Still Waiting on Kelsey Plum
The bigger picture for L.A. is getting fully healthy. All-Star guard Kelsey Plum remains out with no firm return date. Roberts said the team is close to having a target but isn’t ready to announce one yet. Plum likely won’t be back until after the break.
“With KP coming back at some point, we don’t have a target date circled, we’re getting near to having a date set, or a target,” Roberts added. “My hope is that when we start adding these key guys back, arguably our best offensive player and our best defensive player, the rest of the group has kind of found their rhythm and stride, we can make a push here in August and September.”
The Sparks made a similar second-half run last year to sneak into the playoff picture. They’re hoping history repeats itself. Getting Brink on the floor now gives them a head start on that push.
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