Cameron

Brink

Brink took an elbow to the nose midway through the second quarter of Thursday’s game when trying to contest the Aces’ NaLyssa Smith’s layup attempt. The elbow left Brink bloody and unable to resume play. She was subbed out at the next deadball and assisted to the locker room by team staff. Azurá Stevens replaced her in the lineup before Brink was ultimately ruled out. Given that the Sparks didn’t qualify for the 2025 postseason, the nose injury will officially end Brink’s sophomore campaign.

While the three-ball didn’t hit for Copper on Tuesday night, her performance was pivotal against the Sparks. Copper did an excellent job of exploiting how much size she had over Kelsey Plum, the defender assigned to guard and chase around Copper on Tuesday evening. She had her most productive quarter in the second, following Satou Sabally’s 10 point first with 12 points of her own, scoring six points each in the second and third quarters. While the Sparks did an admirable job guarding Copper in the final frame, it was hard to them to keep pace defensively especially when their rim protecting center Cameron Brink was out of the game in foul trouble. Copper, like the veteran she is, took advantage of this attacked the paint.

Brink’s impact on the Sparks defense continues to be quite stark. While she didn’t register any blocks on Wednesday night, her rim protection comes also as a result of shot altering and being able to deter paint penetration with her presence alone. When Dearica Hamby struggled in the first half to score, Brink came in and not only anchored the Sparks defense, but made sure to get her team extra possessions on the glass in addition to reading the game well while spacing and cutting off the ball. Brink’s five field goals on Wednesday night came on a pick and pop with Julie Allemand and a bunch of cutting layups on passes from Azurá Stevens. On Wednesday night, Brink registered her most minutes since returning from tearing her ACL and meniscus last season. Also, she had her third double-digit scoring performance since her return.

Brink asked for a substitution in the second quarter after just playing five minutes. Sparks head coach Lynn Roberts didn’t have much of an update postgame but confirmed that Brink tweaked her ankle during the first half of the game. Since Brink has only played for just a couple of weeks following her return from a torn ACL, the Sparks weren’t going to risk anything. “She’s still on a minutes restriction,” Roberts told reporters postgame. “So the decision was made not to put her back in.” Azurá Stevens played in 35 minutes on Tuesday night, more playing time than she usually gets.

Brink only needed 11 minutes of game action on Sunday to put up her best stat line of the season. She displayed the full arsenal, with her shot-blocking, three-point shooting, and rebounding being arguably the most impressive. Brink realistically could have finished with stronger numbers, but she is being incorporated slowly in her first few weeks back from an ACL tear, and the Sparks were likely being cautious with her minutes on the second game of a back-to-back. Her minutes and workload may not produce rich fantasy stats now, but the outlook on the rest of her career remains promising.

Despite scoring zero first-half points, Hamby recovered in the second half to lead the Sparks in scoring and finish with a decent line overall. All of her scoring actually came in the third quarter, where she made each of her five shot attempts and four free throws before being limited to only two minutes in the fourth quarter. Hamby has been one of the most consistent players for Los Angeles all season, and even with the return of Cameron Brink, fantasy managers should feel optimistic about how the two-time Sixth Woman of the Year will perform the rest of the season.

Brink, who played 15 games before suffering a torn ACL during a June 18, 2024, game against the Sun, will make her anticipated return to action on Tuesday. It was hoped that she could return sometime in June before the All-Star break, but the timeline was pushed back. Given the time Brink has missed, fantasy managers should not expect too much immediately, as her minutes may be limited. However, the 2024 first-round pick’s ability to impact games on both ends of the floor makes her a valuable option to have rostered with the fantasy playoffs on the horizon.

Stevens dominated the Sky on Sunday and showed why she can be a matchup nightmare, as she scored efficiently both inside and outside the arc. However, it wasn’t until the second half that the eighth-year pro out of UConn hit another gear from an offensive standpoint. Stevens’ 18-point second half was keyed by her two three-pointers came and also helped the Sparks gain separation from a feisty Sky team looking for their first win. The performance marked the third time this season that Stevens has surpassed 20 points, made at least two threes and recorded a block in the same game. She should remain valuable in fantasy leagues and a lock in the Sparks’ starting lineup even once Cameron Brink returns from a torn ACL.

With Cameron Brink (knee) not due to return until some point in June and Rae Burrell (leg) out for 6-8 weeks, the Sparks are down bodies at this early juncture. As a result, they’ve brought back King, who was waived on May 12 after being the 28th overall pick in April’s draft. King’s contract will run for the season after being initially signed to a seven-day hardship contract.

After scoring 13 points in the Sparks’ exhibition matchup with the Valkyries, Jackson matched that number in Friday’s season opener. The second-year forward was one of three starters to play at least 35 minutes. And the Sparks’ lack of depth, as Cameron Brink (knee) isn’t expected back until sometime in June and Rae Burrell (knee) exited Friday’s game in the first half, may require Jackson to log heavy minutes for the foreseeable future. That would raise her fantasy ceiling, especially if the Sparks receive bad news regarding the severity of Burrell’s injury.