What Brink’s injury means for rookies, Sparks, USA 3×3

The worst fears about Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink’s knee injury were confirmed Wednesday: She suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season and the Paris Olympics.

It’s a big blow to Brink, the Sparks, the WNBA and USA Basketball, which will have to replace her on the 3×3 roster. Brink was injured in the opening minutes of the Sparks’ loss to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. The No. 2 pick in April’s WNBA draft, she started all 15 games for the Sparks after a successful career start.

Los Angeles hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020 and is in the midst of a franchise shakeup with the departure of longtime star Nneka Ogwumike to the Seattle Storm, but now must move forward without Brink, who must deal with the dual disappointment of missing the Olympics and not being able to complete the remainder of his rookie season.

The New York Liberty faced a similar problem in 2020 when No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionsek suffered a season-ending ankle injury three games into her rookie season. Ionsek recovered well and returned in 2021, being an All-Star and WNBA Second Team selection last season and a member of the U.S. 5-on-5 Olympic team this year.

Brink’s outlook remains bright, but that’s not much consolation for her or the Sparks, who are currently 4-11. Here’s a look at Brink’s play so far, what’s going to happen for the Sparks this season, and what the future holds for Brink.

How has Brink performed at this point in his rookie season?

Pelton: As expected, Brink was one of the top rookies in the WNBA and quickly graded out as a league-average player. I would rank her third out of four players in this year’s draft who performed above replacement level while playing at least 100 minutes.

Brink has excelled defensively, blocking 9% of opponents’ two-point shots, a league-best record. Among players who have blocked at least 40 shots in the paint, Brink allowed opponents to make just 51% of their shots, ranking fifth among players tracking by Second Spectrum.

Foul trouble was an expected issue for Brink, who averaged 6.5 fouls per 36 minutes, but the Sparks were pleased with her performance prior to her injury.

Vaupel: Brink only needed a few professional games to prove she was on her way to becoming one of the WNBA’s elite shot blockers. Early competition for blocks included players like Margo Dydek, Lisa Leslie and Brittney Griner. With her timing, anticipation and coordination, Brink clearly has the makings to be a rim protector. Losing that now would be tough for the Sparks.

How will the Sparks respond to her absence? How will the lineup change? Which non-roster players might Los Angeles sign?

Pelton: One silver lining for the Sparks is that backup center Lee Yuel has been playing well recently in her first extended WNBA game after playing just 82 minutes as a rookie with the Chicago Sky in 2022. Lee outscored Brink with a career-high 18 points against Seattle earlier this month, and also scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in a game in which Brink was injured. While her 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes are better than Brink (12.3 and 8.7), Lee isn’t as deterrent around the rim as a shot blocker.

Looking ahead, Los Angeles may see Azur L. Stevens return to the lineup soon. Stevens injured her left arm during a game in China and underwent surgery, but the Sparks indicated she’ll re-evaluate in 12 weeks, which comes Friday. Stevens could play as a center alongside Dearrica Hamby or as a power forward alongside Lee.

If Stevens is expected to miss at least three more weeks, Los Angeles would be eligible to add a 13th player to the roster via the hardship exception. Queen Egbo, who was recently released by Connecticut, would be a logical target. Alternatively, the Sparks could bring back Hungarian center Virag Kiss, who traveled with the team to training camp.

Vaupel: Roster decisions are always tough, but the Sparks’ decision to release Monique Billings before the season raised some eyebrows. The 6-foot-4 Billings, who played six seasons with the Atlanta Dream, is a veteran with a strong post presence that’s not easy to find. That was fortunate for the Dallas Wings, who signed her four days after the Sparks released Billings. She’s currently averaging career-highs of 11.9 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Wings.

For the Sparks, it’s in the past. It’s too early to write off the postseason, but let’s be realistic and say that things have gotten tougher for Los Angeles. As Kevin said, Lee has a bright future. She’s only 25 and just played a season-high 26 minutes on Tuesday. And Stevens could make a noticeable impact whenever he returns.

All eyes will be on forward Rekhea Jackson, the Sparks’ other 2024 draft lottery pick, this season. The No. 4 pick is averaging 10.3 points and 3.6 rebounds. Jackson’s best game to date was a 19-point, 10-rebound game against the Minnesota Lynx on June 14. Jackson has scored in double figures in four of her last five games, shooting 56.1 percent from the field during that stretch. She’s a talented scorer and could serve as a versatile defender for the Sparks.

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What changes will USA Basketball make to its 3×3 rosters?

Pelton: Under FIBA’s 3×3 rules, USA Basketball must choose another player to replace Brink who has earned enough qualification points in 3×3 competition, meaning USA can’t simply select Aliyah Boston, who wasn’t on the traditional 5-on-5 Olympic team.

Additionally, USA Basketball will likely want to fill Brink’s position with another to complement guard Hailey Van Lith, wing Rhyne Howard and fellow post player Sierra Burdick. Looking at the FIBA ​​individual rankings, the most logical replacement is Hamby, who automatically qualifies by ranking in the top 20 of U.S. players in 3×3 points.

Hamby had an all-star season in the WNBA and was selected by ESPN’s Alexa Firpo to play against the U.S. 5-on-5 Olympic team in this year’s WNBA All-Star Game, and she has more 3×3 experience than most players of her ilk.

If the USABasketball Association isn’t too worried about replacing someone with Brink’s build, Alisha Gray, Howard’s Atlanta Dream teammate who helped the U.S. win a gold medal at the inaugural 3×3 tournament in Tokyo in 2021, would also be a strong candidate. Alternatively, the U.S. could bring back Indiana Fever’s Katie Lou Samuelson, who was set to make the team three years ago but missed time after contracting COVID-19.

Vaupel: I agree with Kevin. Hamby, Samuelson or Gray seem like the best candidates to replace Brink who has spent a lot of time in 3×3. It would be a shame for her to miss the Olympics, but Samuelson knows that very well.

Last year, Brink was named MVP when the USA won the gold medal at the FIBA ​​3×3 Women’s World Cup in Vienna, Austria, and will also compete in two FIBA ​​3×3 Women’s Series in 2023, with the USA finishing second in both Montreal and Quebec City.

The 3×3 tournament proved hugely popular with U.S. audiences, with Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Stephanie Dolson winning gold medals in 2021. Young and Plum are currently on the 5-on-5 team in Paris, which could be in Brink’s future as well.

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What does Brink’s future hold with the Sparks and in the United States Basketball Association?

Vaupel: An ACL injury and rehab is tough, but countless players have come back from it and had great careers. Brink has time to recover and could return for the 2025 WNBA season and possibly be part of a 5-on-5 or 3×3 team for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Pelton: Brink remains an important piece for the Sparks, along with Jackson and whoever Los Angeles drafts next year (likely via lottery). The hope is that the injury, suffered relatively early in the season, will allow Brink to return to the court in time for training camp in 2025. Consider that nearly a year ago (June 20), Connecticut center Breonna Jones suffered a similar season-ending injury, a torn Achilles tendon. Jones has now played all 14 games at a routine All-Star level, helping the Suns get off to their best start in franchise history.