Cameron Brink opens up about return to Sparks, WNBA playoff push and what she learned while sitting out

Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink used her time recovering from a torn ACL to get outside her comfort zone. 

“It was really important for me to have stuff outside of basketball, especially coming back from an injury,” she told CBS Sports. “We are not just basketball players, we are not just athletes… It was really good for me to kind of see myself as a complete person rather than someone who is just coming back from injury.”

Brink started her own podcast, modeled for Sports Illustrated, and did other unexpected side quests such as participating in State Farm’s Gamerhood, a reality TV-style gaming competition. Brink said she used to play Halo with her brother and now plays Fortnite with her fiancé, so she figured that would be a fun thing to try. 

“When you are recovering from an ACL surgery you have a lot of time to sit down and play video games,” Brink said.

However, she is grateful to return her full attention to basketball. The second-year Sparks star got back on the court late July and said it didn’t really feel like she was out for 406 days. Her return came at the perfect time for the Sparks, who are still fighting for a spot in the WNBA playoffs. 

“It felt like how I’ve always been doing it. When I step out on the court, it doesn’t really feel much different,” she said. “It felt great. I missed it so much and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season because I genuinely missed playing with my teammates so much and just being a part of the team instead of just cheering on the bench, which was still amazing. I learned so much watching, but I’m ready to be in the action.”

Brink was one of the top performing rookies last season and has taken pride on her defense since her time at Stanford. She was averaging 2.3 blocks per game before the injury which, had she played enough games to qualify, would have been the second-best mark in the league behind Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson.

She flirted with a double-double during the Sparks 81-80 win against Dallas last week with 11 points and 8 rebounds. On Tuesday before an eight-point loss to the Phoenix Mercury, coach Lynne Roberts said her minutes restriction could increase to around 25 minutes a game, but foul trouble only kept Brink on the floor for 14.

“I don’t want anyone to get an and-one, so I’m going to use my fouls,” she said. “I’ve always struggled with foul trouble but it’s because I’m an aggressive player. I’m still working on it.”

Brink is a sophomore in the league but has about the same amount of playing experience as the rookies, so she is trying to not put too much pressure on herself while still learning.

“When you sit out for so long you just have an appreciation for stepping out on the court,” she said. “It’s really hard to be part of a league that is so talented. It’s a really hard league to be a part of so even being out there, I think every time I step out there I’m just genuinely so happy. I try to take it all in because you knever know what could happen.”

As the stakes continue to rise at this stage of the regular season, Brink said her goal is to help her team make the playoffs. The Sparks have not made the postseason since 2020. At 17-19 entering play on Wednesday, they are currently ninth in the standings, 1 ½ games behind the Storm for the eighth and final playoff spot. 

“We are so close and we are really hitting our stride,” Brink said. “Sometimes it may be hard. We’ve had some tough losses, some close loses. But we genuinely get better every day.”