The worst fears about Los Angeles Sparks rookie ahead Cameron Brink’s knee damage had been confirmed Wednesday: She suffered a torn ACL in her left knee and can miss the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season and the Paris Olympics.

It is a crushing blow for Brink, the Sparks, the WNBA and USA Basketball, which should exchange her on the 3×3 roster. Brink was injured within the opening minutes of the Sparks’ loss Tuesday on the Connecticut Solar. The No. 2 decide in April’s WNBA draft, she was off to a strong profession launch with the Sparks, beginning all 15 video games.

Now Los Angeles — which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020 and is in what could be known as a franchise refresh with longtime star Nneka Ogwumike now with the Seattle Storm — should transfer on with out Brink. And Brink should take care of the twin disappointments of lacking out on a visit to the Olympics and never with the ability to full the remainder of her rookie season.

The New York Liberty handled an analogous difficulty in 2020 when No. 1 decide Sabrina Ionsecu suffered a season-ending ankle damage three video games into her rookie season. Ionescu recovered nicely: She returned in 2021, was an All-Star and second-team WNBA decide final season and is a part of the U.S. 5-on-5 Olympic group this 12 months.

The outlook remains to be vibrant for Brink, though that does not present a lot solace for her or the 4-11 Sparks proper now. Here is a have a look at how Brink has performed to date, the place the Sparks go from right here this season and what Brink’s future would possibly maintain.

How had Brink carried out up up to now of her rookie season?

Pelton: As anticipated, Brink had been one of many WNBA’s prime rookies, score as a league-average participant immediately. I’ve her third among the many 4 gamers from this 12 months’s draft who’ve carried out higher than alternative stage in not less than 100 minutes of motion:

Particularly, Brink has excelled defensively, blocking a league-high 9% of opponent 2-point makes an attempt. Amongst gamers who’ve defended not less than 40 shot makes an attempt within the paint in line with Second Spectrum monitoring, Brink ranks fifth with opponents hitting simply 51% of these photographs.

Foul hassle was predictably a problem for Brink, who was averaging 6.5 fouls per 36 minutes, however the Sparks can be ok with how nicely she performed earlier than the damage.

Voepel: Brink wanted just some professional video games to point out she was on her solution to being one of many elite shot blockers within the WNBA. Her early comps in blocks had been to gamers like Margo Dydek, Lisa Leslie and Brittney Griner. From timing, anticipation and coordination standpoints, Brink clearly has what it takes to be a rim protector. That is a troublesome factor for the Sparks to lose proper now.

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How do the Sparks regulate to her absence? How does the lineup change? Which non-rostered participant would possibly Los Angeles signal?

Pelton: The silver lining for the Sparks is backup heart Li Yueru has been approaching these days throughout her first prolonged WNBA motion after enjoying simply 82 minutes as a rookie with the Chicago Sky in 2022. Li had a career-high 18 factors at Seattle earlier this month, ending the sport over Brink, and 11 factors on 5-of-6 taking pictures within the sport when Brink was injured. Per 36 minutes, her averages of 14.2 factors and 10.6 rebounds are higher than Brink (12.3 and eight.7), though Li is nowhere close to the type of deterrent across the rim as a shot blocker.

Down the highway, Los Angeles might get Azura Stevens again within the lineup earlier than lengthy. When Stevens initially suffered a left arm damage enjoying in China and underwent surgical procedure, the Sparks indicated she’d be reevaluated in 12 weeks. We’ll hit that mark on Friday. Stevens can play both heart alongside Dearica Hamby or energy ahead subsequent to Li.

If Stevens remains to be anticipated to overlook not less than one other three weeks, Los Angeles could be eligible for a hardship exception so as to add a thirteenth participant to the roster. Queen Egbo, lately waived by Connecticut, could be a logical goal. Alternatively, the Sparks might carry again Hungarian heart Virag Kiss, who was with the group in coaching camp.

Voepel: Roster selections are at all times troublesome, and it raised some eyebrows when the Sparks waived Monique Billings earlier than the season. The 6-foot-4 Billings, who performed six seasons with the Atlanta Dream, is a veteran put up presence not simple to seek out. It was luck for the Dallas Wings, who signed Billings 4 days after the Sparks let her go. She is averaging profession highs of 11.9 factors and eight.8 rebounds now for the Wings.

It is water below the bridge for the Sparks. It is too early to put in writing off the postseason, however realistically all the things simply obtained even more durable for Los Angeles. As Kevin stated, Li is promising — she’s simply 25 and is coming off enjoying a season-high 26 minutes on Tuesday. And Stevens could make a noticeable impression each time she returns.

Quite a lot of focus now will go on ahead Rickea Jackson, the Sparks’ different 2024 draft lottery decide this season. The No. 4 choice, she is averaging 10.3 factors and three.6 rebounds. Jackson’s finest sport thus far was a 19-point, 10-rebound efficiency vs. the Minnesota Lynx on June 14. Jackson has scored in double figures in 4 of her final 5 video games, taking pictures 56.1% from the sector in that span. She’s a proficient scorer who can be able to being a flexible defender for the Sparks.

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What adjustments does USA Basketball make to its 3×3 roster?

Pelton: Primarily based on FIBA’s 3×3 guidelines, USA Basketball should exchange Brink with one other participant who has adequate qualifying factors in 3×3 competitions, which means the USA cannot merely decide Aliyah Boston after she was not noted of the Olympic roster for the standard 5-on-5 group.

Moreover, USA Basketball will most likely wish to fill Brink’s spot with one other put up to enhance guard Hailey Van Lith, wing Rhyne Howard and fellow put up Cierra Burdick. Trying via the FIBA particular person rankings, probably the most logical alternative is Hamby, who robotically qualifies by rating among the many prime 20 U.S. gamers in 3×3 factors.

Hamby is having an All-Star season within the WNBA — she was among the many picks by ESPN’s Alexa Philppou for the roster that may tackle the USA’s 5-on-5 Olympic group on this 12 months’s WNBA All-Star Sport — and brings extra 3×3 expertise than different gamers of that ilk.

If USA Basketball is much less involved about changing Brink’s measurement, Howard’s Atlanta Dream teammate Allisha Grey could be one other robust candidate after serving to the USA win the inaugural 3×3 gold in 2021 in Tokyo. Or the USA might carry again Katie Lou Samuelson of the Indiana Fever, who was set to be a part of the group three years in the past earlier than contracting COVID-19 and lacking out.

Voepel: Agree with Kevin: Hamby, Samuelson or Grey look like one of the best picks to interchange Brink, who has put in numerous time with 3×3. It is heartbreaking she’s going to miss the Olympics, one thing Samuelson understands all too nicely.

Final 12 months, Brink was MVP of the FIBA 3×3 Girls’s World Cup in Vienna, Austria, as america gained gold. She additionally competed in two 2023 FIBA 3×3 Girls’s Collection stops because the Individuals had been second in each Montreal and Quebec.

The 3×3 match proved actually in style amongst U.S. viewers in 2021, when Grey, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Younger and Stefanie Dolson gained gold. Younger and Plum are actually on the 5-on-5 group for Paris, which could be in Brink’s future.

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What does Brink’s future with the Sparks and USA Basketball appear to be?

Voepel: As troublesome as ACL accidents and rehab are, it is one thing numerous gamers have come again from to have excellent careers. Brink could have time to get well and hopefully return for the 2025 WNBA season. And she or he may very well be a part of the 5-on-5 or 3×3 group within the 2028 Los Angeles Video games.

Pelton: Brink stays a constructing block for the Sparks, together with Jackson and whoever Los Angeles drafts subsequent 12 months — doubtless within the lottery. The hope is that this damage occurring comparatively early within the season permits Brink to get again on the courtroom in time for 2025 coaching camp. Contemplate that nearly precisely a 12 months in the past (June 20), Connecticut heart Brionna Jones suffered an analogous season-ending damage, an Achilles rupture. Now Jones has performed all 14 video games at her common All-Star stage and helped the Solar to one of the best begin in franchise historical past.