Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese

Cameron Brink’s June began with some of the best news of her life: She was selected to the U.S. 3×3 team for the Paris Olympics.

Her selection came as no surprise, as she won gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup alongside Hailey Van Lith and Cierra Burdick, who were also chosen for the Games. While she was not only that gold medal team, Rhyne Howard was also selected to represent the U.S. in Paris on the 3×3 squad.

But just weeks later, Brink’s dreams are dashed. She will miss the Olympics with a torn ACL, one she sustained during the Sparks vs. Sun game on June 18.

The injury not only marks the end of the Los Angeles rookie’s Paris aspirations but also her 2024 WNBA season. After a month of pro play, the No. 2 draft pick lived up to the hype, making her case as a top star in the Rookie of the Year race.

The show must go on, though. The U.S. team is now tasked with finding a replacement for Brink as the Paris Olympics inch closer. Here are the top contenders.

Cameron Brink Olympic replacements

Caitlin Clark

Clark was left off the regular Olympic team to the dismay of many, and fans should not expect her to be on the 3×3 squad.

The U.S. will be looking for a big post player to replace Brink, who’s the tallest of the four-player team at 6-4. Additionally, the Olympic committee cited inexperience with the national team as a reason Clark was not selected for the 5×5 Paris roster. That reasoning won’t change for the 3×3 team.

Sure, the 2021 gold medal team had three guards, so there’s a chance, but Clark’s height (or lack of) may be too much to overcome.

Angel Reese

Reese has been a star in her rookie season with the Sky. She wasn’t a big contender for either Olympic team this year, however. That could change with a roster spot now open.

The 6-3 big played notably with Van Lith at LSU, so the chemistry is there. She’s no stranger to the U.S. national team, winning a silver medal at the 2023 AmeriCup where she averaged 11.1 rebounds, the second-most among all players. However, she has not been at any national team training camps since.

With Chicago, she’s averaging 12.1 points and 10. 2 rebounds per game. She sits in the top five rebound leaders among all WNBA players, something more than impressive for the rookie.

Reese is a long shot for the 3×3 roster this year, but her promising future will help put her in consideration.

Dearica Hamby

Why not replace a Spark with a Spark? Hamby is having a breakout season in her second year with Los Angeles. If the USA Basketball committee wants to ride that momentum, Hamby is easily the frontrunner

She has 3×3 experience, too. She played in the FIBA Springfield stop this April and was on the 2023 AmeriCup gold medal team. There, she was named the MVP of the tournament for her leading 16.6 points per game, 10.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds. She also played on the 2023 5×5 National Team and 2022 World Cup Qualifying Team.

The 6-3 forward is averaging 18.3 points and 10.7 rebounds.

Stefanie Dolson

Dolson was on the four-player 3×3 Tokyo Olympic roster. At 6-5, she’s one of the top replacements for Brink. In the 2021 Games, she averaged 5.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. She hasn’t participated in a USA Basketball training camp since September 2022.

Dolson is a veteran and experienced international player, something that would be crucial for this year’s 3×3 team, especially as a late replacement.

In her first season with the Mystics, she’s averaging 8.0 points and 3.8 rebounds through 14 games.

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Allisha Gray

Gray is a strong contender to replace Brink on the 3×3 team. While a 6-0 guard, she was also on the 2021 gold medal team and was named USA Basketball’s 3×3 Athlete of the Year that year. In the final game against the Russian Olympic Committee, she put up four points and six rebounds.

Gray has more recent national team experience than Dolson, most recently participating in the national team’s February training camp. Either way, her experience would also be a big contribution to the Paris 3×3 team.

In 12 games this WNBA season, she averages 15.8 points and 3.6 rebounds.

Aliyah Boston

Boston, 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was not named to the 2024 Paris team despite playing on the Olympic Qualifying Tournament team where she averaged 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds through two games. She was named to the training camp rosters in April and February.

Despite less experience than other possible replacements, Boston is a natural option. The 6-5 forward was on the 2021 AmeriCup team and the 2018 3×3 Youth Olympics team, among other rosters.

Her sophomore WNBA season got off to a rough start, but she’s quickly proved herself with three straight double-doubles. Though 15 games, she averages 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds.