Cameron Brink Gets Emotional After Finding Out She's Headed to the Olympics

The Los Angeles Sparks‘ worst fears were confirmed Wednesday when the franchise revealed that star rookie Cameron Brink had suffered a torn ACL in her left knee the night before — a brutal injury that will sideline the forward for the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season.

Brink‘s injury is a tough pill for the rebuilding Sparks to swallow, and the player herself was merely weeks away from heading to Paris to participate in the Summer Olympic Games. But if Brink has her way, she will get back on the court soon and play better than ever in 2025.

Heartbroken Brink says she will be back stronger

After the Sparks confirmed the extent of her injury on Wednesday, Brink took to Instagram and shared a message with her 1.2 million followers on the platform. She began by saying “you never think (an ACL injury) will happen to you” and remarking how difficult it was to fathom that her rookie season was over after just 15 games.

“I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life,” Brink wrote in a caption capped by the hashtag #delayednotdenied. “I’m not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it.”

Brink was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game before she suffered a non-contact injury on a cut to the rim against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night. Alongside fellow rookie Rickea Jackson, Brink represents the Sparks’ future amid the legacy franchise’s hopes of returning to championship contention in the coming seasons.

Brink’s post received support from tennis star Coco Gauff, as well as WNBA stars like Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson — all of whom are surely eager to see Brink make her return to the hardwood. But for now, she will be taking the first steps toward recovery from this ligament injury, which will challenge her in ways she has not been challenged before.