Cameron Brink’s latest milestone has come without the result the Los Angeles Sparks would’ve liked, returning to the court after missing eight games due to a left ankle sprain. Brink established a new franchise record, and it was just another reminder of how special the forward can be as a rim protector.
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The Sparks lost their game against the Phoenix Mercury 94-87 on August 11, with Brink finishing the game with seven points, five rebounds, and two blocks, and it was the two denials at the rim that have now put her in elite company.
According to a post by the Real App on X, Brink has now become the third-fastest Sparks player to reach 100 blocks, doing so in 58 games over her three seasons in the league. The only two players ahead of her are franchise legends Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker, who reached the mark in 47 and 48 games over two seasons each.
Leslie did so over 1997 and 1998, a period during which she was the runner-up for the blocks champion both seasons, and averaged 2.1 blocks per game. Likewise, Parker managed the feat over the 2008 and 2009 seasons, ironically finishing second in blocks during her rookie season, behind Lisa Leslie, who was still active. Parker went on to lead the league in blocks in 2009, averaging 2.2 blocks per game over 2008 and 2009.
Brink’s path to this achievement has not been as smooth. After being selected second in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Sparks, she started a solid rookie season, averaging a monstrous 2.3 blocks per game in 22 minutes per game, and her future looked bright. However, it was all derailed when, 15 games in, she tore her left ACL, altering her trajectory.
Even this season, she has suffered interruptions due to a severe left ankle sprain, returning in mid-July under a minutes restriction.
Though her return to form has been slow, it hasn’t stopped Brink from becoming one of the Sparks’ most important defenders. To reach the 100-block mark, she took 58 games while averaging 1.7 rejections. But it was for naught, it was for naught, as the team lost yet another game during their late-season push, with Noemie Brochant leading the charge for the Mercury.
Brochant’s Career Night Helps Mercury Win vs Sparks Despite Cameron Brink’s Milestone
Unfortunately for Cameron Brink, the person in the spotlight during the game between the Sparks and the Mercury was rookie Noemie Brochant. She exploded for a career-high 24 points and logged five steals, helping Phoenix erase a late deficit to escape with a come-from-behind win.
Brochant was efficient all night, knocking down shots within the arc and hitting three-of-six long-range shots to finish 10-13 from the field. Her five steals also were crucial for a Mercury squad that used defensive pressure late in the game to fuel their offense; the Mercury turned 17 Sparks turnovers into 22 points, while LA failed to capitalize on Phoenix’s 24 turnovers.
It all came to a head with about five minutes left in the fourth, with the Sparks leading 81-78. Phoenix forced LA into a string of five costly giveaways, including Brochant stepping into the lane on a Rae Burrell pass to give Alyssa Thomas a transition bucket to take an 86-81 lead. The Sparks tried to respond with a three, but another bucket from Thomas and a steal from Kahleah Copper sealed the game.
Regardless of how this game turned out, Cameron Brink’s milestone night cannot be understated. However, with the playoffs inching closer, the Sparks need to take a hard look at their recent performance to right the ship before it’s too late to take action. They will look to bounce back on August 13 against the New York Liberty.