LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cameron Brink came off the bench for the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night in her first WNBA game in 13 months after a left ACL injury.
She 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.
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.
Brink got hurt in a game at Connecticut last June, putting her on a long path of rehab. Before that, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.
She entered Tuesday's game to cheers with 2:39 remaining in the first quarter and the Sparks trailing 26-9.
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.
Brink's expectations for herself?
“Just lead with joy,” she said after doing a series of pregame drills. “I’m just happy to be back. It’s been a long road, so I’m just going to try to have fun.”
Brink said she missed “everything” during the long rehab process.
“I really learned how to be a good teammate and I learned all the little nuances of the game that I usually wouldn’t expect to get into,” she said.
Jackson welcomed Brink's return.
“She's intimidating,” Jackson said. “Nobody wants to challenge her, no one wants to go up against her even on the offensive end.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said Brink would be on a minutes restriction.
“It’s a hard injury to come back from, mentally and physically, and she’s done it with a smile on her face,” the first-year WNBA coach said before the game. “The expectation for her is to get out there and enjoy the moment. She doesn’t have to score 20. It would be great if she did, but I want her to just be in the moment, be present and grateful that she’s back out there.”
A smiling Brink joined the pregame huddle after the starters were announced.
“I know there’s some anxiousness and some nerves from her,” Roberts said beforehand. “It’s good for her to be doing this at home in front of this crowd that all love her and so do we.”
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