Sparks F Cameron Brink to return from ACL tear vs. Aces

Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink will make her season debut Tuesday against the visiting Las Vegas Aces after missing the team's first 25 games due to a torn left ACL that has required 13 months of rehabilitation.

Brink and Sparks coach Lynne Roberts confirmed Brink's availability after practice on Monday. Roberts told reporters that Brink will likely be on a minutes restriction.

Brink was cleared to return earlier this month and has been ramping up in practice.

"It's great to get in and get reps," Brink told the Long Beach Press Telegram. "My teammates are super supportive, coaching me up. My coaches are super patient. I'm feeling great, just getting the reps that I need to feel comfortable."

Brink was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft behind Caitlin Clark. Brink averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over her first 15 games (all starts), but went down early in a June 2024 game against the Connecticut Sun with the ACL injury.

She missed not only a year-plus of her nascent professional career, but also the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was set to play on Team USA's 3x3 women's basketball team that earned the bronze medal.

Roberts is in her first season as the Sparks' coach, as she took over after the team went 8-32 last year to finish last in the league standings. To date, Los Angeles is 11-14 but riding a league-best five-game winning streak into Tuesday's game with Las Vegas.

"She's been tremendous," Roberts said of Brink. "It's hard. The offseason is one thing, but when your teammates are out there and you're over there doing leg curls, it's hard. And she's been a tremendous teammate. I'm really, really proud of her."

--Field Level Media