Sparks’ Cameron Brink suffers season-ending torn ACL
The Sparks have lost center Cameron Brink for the season after she suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday night in Connecticut.
Drafted No. 2 overall in April’s WNBA draft, the 6-foot-4 forward was driving to the basket against the Sun when her left knee gave away. Brink limped off the court before being carried to the locker room.
Brink, 22, was averaging 7.5 points in 22 minutes per game for the Sparks, whose 79-70 loss Tuesday night dropped them to 4-11 on the season and in 10th place in the 12-team league.
Her 2.3 blocks per game rank third in the league while her 5.3 rebounds per game ranked second on the Sparks.
The injury will prevent Brink from participating in next month’s Paris Olympics, where she was expected to be a key player on the four-member U.S. women’s 3×3 team.
The injury leaves the Sparks with only 6-foot-7 Li Yueru in the middle. The rookie center from China is averaging 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while playing 12.8 minutes per game.
The Sparks have been without 6-foot-6 forward-center Azurá Stevens, who has been sidelined all season after undergoing left arm surgery in late March for an injury suffered while playing in China. The Sparks estimated Stevens would be re-evaluated 12 weeks after the surgery.
The Sparks, who have lost four in a row, take on the Liberty (12-3) at 4 p.m. Thursday in New York.