Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink tore her ACL on Tuesday, cutting her rookie season short.
Fellow rookie Caitlin Clark told reporters Wednesday before her team’s game against the Washington Mystics that it was a heartbreaking injury:
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Caitlin Clark sends love to Cameron Brink following her ACL injury ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3AW4x249oN
“Obviously devastating,” Clark said of the injury (3:58 mark). “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.”
Brink, 22, was the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, one spot behind Clark. She was averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this season before slipping during a drive to the rim on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun.
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Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/5TptEkw65a
She released the following message on social media following the diagnosis of her torn ACL:
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Cameron Brink shared a message after the news of her left torn ACL. pic.twitter.com/F8nPEgmCsd
Brink won’t just be lost for the WNBA season—she’ll also miss out on the Paris Olympics later this summer after being named to the four-member 3×3 team. Hailey Van Lith, Rhyne Howard and Cierra Burdick are currently on the squad, though Team USA must replace Brink with a player who has the requisite qualifying points in the 3×3 format.
Dearica Hamby, Allisha Gray and Katie Lou Samuelson are all logical potential replacements.
As for Clark, she’s been excellent in her rookie season, averaging 16.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. She’s well on her way to secure Rookie of the Year honors and has handled the pressures of becoming one of the biggest lightning rods in sports—all without doing anything controversial herself—with grace.
The future looks bright for the WNBA, with rookies like Clark, Brink and Angel Reese acquitting themselves well in year one. Losing Brink for the rest of the season is a disappointment, but her and Clark seem poised to have many memorable battles to come.
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