Cameron Brink's emotional return to the WNBA: ‘A great day, 10 out of 10'

NBC Sports

2 days ago

LOS ANGELES — Cameron Brink was dancing and smiling in the pre-game huddle. After 13 months away from the sport she loves, the Los Angeles Sparks forward was back in what coach Lynne Roberts calls 'her happy place.'
Brink was 1 for 3 and made a pair of free throws while playing 13 minutes, with three rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and a turnover in an 89-74 loss to the Las Vegas Aces that snapped the Sparks' five-game winning streak.
She came off the bench in her first WNBA game since suffering a left ACL injury in a game at Connecticut in June 2024.
'I really missed it,' Brink said afterward. 'That's definitely my favorite part of basketball is just competing, working my butt off. It was really fun to be out there with my teammates and feed off the crowd.'
She entered to cheers with 2:39 remaining in the first quarter.
Brink quickly got to work, grabbing an offensive rebound and feeding Rickea Jackson for a jumper. She then hit a 3-pointer with NBA stars Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan and comedian Leslie Jones watching courtside.
'After I hit that first shot, just kind of like weight off my shoulders,' Brink said. 'Credit to my teammates, they made me feel super comfortable. If I didn't know a play, they got my back and were telling me where to go.'
When she wasn't in the game, Brink cheered from the bench, rising to urge in shots while the Sparks played catchup most of the night.
'She was more comfortable out there than I anticipated her to be just cause how long she's been out,' Roberts said.
Before getting hurt, Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
'I don't feel as fast as I was last year,' she said, 'but I'm making small steps every day.'
Brink has yet to practice much with the full team.
'I told her after the game that's very impressive to come in and make the impact that she did,' teammate Kelsey Plum said. 'I think she's going to continue to just help us a ton, especially defensively. We looked just horrid tonight. She's someone that's going to get better game by game.'
Brink's minutes will be restricted for the near term.
'Hopefully it won't be a thing for a long time,' she said, adding her goal is to play 20 to 25 minutes a game.
Watching her teammates play last season, Brink said she learned nuances of the game that she might not have otherwise. But mostly she was itching to play in games again.
'Really glad it's over so that we can all move on and I'm back to my job,' she said.
Brink was supported by over 20 friends and family.
'I felt very loved. A great day, 10 out of 10,' she said. 'I won't ever forget it.'