Sparks’ Cameron Brink leaves game vs. Sun with knee injury

Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink will probably be evaluated Wednesday after she was helped off the court docket with a left knee harm Tuesday at Connecticut.

Brink, the No. 2 choose within the 2024 WNBA draft out of Stanford, appeared to slide whereas driving to the basket at Mohegan Solar Area within the first quarter.

Brink, 22, acquired up slowly and hobbled to the sideline, then was carried to the locker room by two employees members.

Brink performed below 4 minutes and dedicated one foul earlier than getting damage. She was later dominated out for the sport, which the Sparks misplaced 79-70.

Sparks coach Curt Miller did not have an replace on Brink, saying solely that she can be evaluated Wednesday.

A 6-foot-4 ahead, Brink has began each recreation this season for the Sparks and entered Tuesday averaging 8.1 factors, 5.7 rebounds and a couple of.5 blocks. Her blocks common is tied for second most within the WNBA with Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.

Miller, who coached the Solar from 2016 to 2022, famous that aside from 2019, he had misplaced a starter to harm each season he has been a WNBA head coach.

“[Injuries] are a part of the WNBA, sadly,” Miller stated. “You simply need to have the mentality of subsequent individual up and rally round it. Does an harm open a door for another person to essentially begin to blossom and acquire confidence? You take a look at my time in Connecticut … somebody went down, another person stepped up.

“So we’re praying and hoping for one of the best for Cam. However unintended penalties of accidents are it will open the door for somebody like [Li Yueru] if that occurs to be vital.”

With Brink out many of the recreation, Li, a 6-foot-7 middle from China, performed a season-high 26 minutes, ending with 11 factors on 5-of-6 capturing to associate with 2 rebounds and three assists. Guard Aari McDonald led the Sparks with 14 factors and seven assists.

“For one, we simply stated, ‘Do it for Cameron,'” McDonald stated of how the Sparks stored the sport shut towards the 13-1 Solar regardless of Brink’s absence. “And, two, simply preserve getting stops. The sport was by no means out of attain, so I am simply actually happy with our group.”

Brink, who gained a nationwide championship with Stanford in 2021, is on the four-member U.S. ladies’s 3×3 crew for the Paris Olympics.

The Sparks (4-11) head to New York to play two video games towards the Liberty on Thursday and Saturday.