Forward Cameron Brink is expected to make her return for the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday, July 29 in a home game vs. the Las Vegas Aces.
Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has not played since last season when she suffered an ACL injury in the 15th game of her rookie campaign.
She previously told reporters on July 26 that she was cleared to make her return but wanted to get some more practice with the team and be fully up to speed with everything before playing.
‘I’m really excited to be able to just go out there and do what I love,’ Brink told reporters.
There had been some indication that Brink was working her way closer to a return after she was spotted participating in parts of practice in recent weeks.
On Monday, July 28, Brink spoke with the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s John W. Davis and revealed that she is hopeful of being back on the court for the team’s next game.
‘I don’t know if I can say that, but yeah,’ Brink answered when asked if she planned on playing Tuesday. ‘It means the world. I am very excited, very humbled by this experience. It’s no easy thing to come back from.’
As of Monday, Brink’s status was listed as out. WNBA.com previously reported she was expected to play at some point in July. The game against the Aces would be the last contest before the Sparks’ Aug. 1 game.
On July 25, Brink was listed as “doubtful” on the Los Angeles injury report with a ‘left knee injury’ ahead of the Sparks’ road game against the New York Liberty. While she did not play in the game, it was the first time Brink had been listed as anything other than “out” this season.
Her first game back would put her in the lineup alongside All-Star guard Kelsey Plum, who was acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Aces before the start of the 2025 season.
The Sparks are 11-14 overall as of July 28 and in 10th place in the standings. Only the top eight teams make the playoffs, and Los Angeles sits one game behind the eighth-place Washington Mystics.
The Sparks will host the Aces on Tuesday, July 29 at 10 p.m. ET.
How did Cameron Brink get injured?
Brink tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in her left knee after she slipped while attempting to drive toward the basket during the first quarter of a game against the Connecticut Sun on June 18, 2024.
The injury cut Brink’s rookie season short after just 15 games as a starter. She averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Brink was a three-time AP All-American at Stanford and was named to the first team during her senior season with the Cardinal. The Sparks selected her as the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
