The Los Angeles Sparks had high hopes for No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink during her rookie year.
All was going to plan through the first month of the season. While the team was just 4-11 through 15 games, the 6-4, 170-pound forward was establishing herself as a franchise cornerstone.
That all came to a halt Tuesday, when Brink sustained a knee injury against the Connecticut Sun that likely will sideline for the remainder of the WNBA season — and for the 2024 Olympics.
Here's what to know about Brink's injury as the Sparks prepare to move forward without her for the rest of the 2024 season.
MORE: Latest news about Cameron Brink's knee injury from loss to Sun
What is Cameron Brink's injury?
Brink suffered a torn ACL in the Sparks' Tuesday loss to the Sun, the team announced Wednesday.
The injury occurred when Brink lost her footing while attempting a left-handed layup. She went crashing to the ground, landing awkwardly and standing up in obvious pain, and she needed assistance to exit the court.
Cameron Brink was carried to the locker room after this play. pic.twitter.com/5TptEkw65a
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2024
While Brink was later spotted walking out of the arena under her own power, giving WNBA fans some hope Brink could potentially return later in the season, instead she is dealing with what is almost certainly a season-ending injury.
The ACL tear also all but assured to cut short her Olympic dreams for 2024. Brink was named to USA Basketball's 3x3 roster for the Paris Games, which begin in late July.
MORE: Could Caitlin Clark play for Canada at the 2024 Olympics?
How long is Cameron Brink out?
The typical recovery timeline for an athlete dealing with an ACL tear is six to nine months, per the Cleveland Clinic. That would put Brink on the sidelines for the rest of the 2024 WNBA season and for the Paris Olympics.
The good news is that Brink should be able to get back on the court before the 2025 WNBA season. That's not a guarantee — some ACL tears come with a recovery time of a year — but if all goes well for Brink and the Sparks, she should be back in action in her sophomore season as Los Angeles looks to become a playoff contender.
Still, Brink was understandably upset by her injury, though she is staying positive ahead of her length recovery timeline, as she expressed in an Instagram post.
"You never think it will happen to you. And despite all the hard work sometimes it does," she wrote. "This is hard to fathom but I know it will only make me stronger. I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life — I'm not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work every day to get back to it. It's not goodbye basketball, it's just a see you later. I'm always so thankful for your thoughts and prayers."
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Cameron Brink stats 2024
Brink played in 15 games for the Sparks before her injury. She shot 39.8% from the field in those games and ranked third in the WNBA in blocks per game with 2.3 through June 19.
Below is a look at Brink's averages for rookie season:
| Stat | Total |
| Minutes | 22 |
| Points | 7.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.3 |
| Assists | 1.7 |
| Steals | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 2.3 |
| FG% | 39.8 |
| 3P% | 32.3 |
The No. 2 overall pick will now start working hard to rehab her injury as she looks to improve upon her averages during the 2025 WNBA season.
