Cameron Brink Names NBA Well-Wisher Who Helped Her Before Sparks Return

Cameron Brink Names NBA Well-Wisher Who Helped Her Before Sparks Return originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

As the 11-14 Los Angeles Sparks prepare to face the 13-13 Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, all eyes are on forward Cameron Brink.

The No. 2 overall pick from the 2024 WNBA Draft is slated to make her season debut after missing 13 months with a torn ACL in her left knee, a setback that sidelined her from June 19, 2024 until through the first 25 games of this season.

Coach Lynne Roberts has confirmed that Brink will return under a strict minutes restriction as part of her reintroduction to professional play.

During her rehab, Brink reportedly described the support network around her as "a whole village," with several athletes offering encouragement, most notably, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who is also a New Balance athlete such as herself who returned from a season‑ending ACL tear in 2021.

Cameron Brink leaned on athletes like Lindsey Vonn and Jamal Murray during her ACL recovery ❤️

Tonight, she makes her first game appearance since June 2024 👏@alexaphilippou@malika_andrewspic.twitter.com/WTzJLKlkM1

— espnW (@espnW) July 29, 2025

Cameron Brink’s WNBA Rise and Recent Injury Setback

A standout at Stanford, Brink led the Cardinal to the 2021 NCAA championship as a freshman and finished her collegiate career as a two‑time Pac‑12 Player of the Year, unanimous first‑team All‑American and 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

In her brief rookie year with the Sparks, she averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 15 games before suffering the knee injury that abruptly ended her debut season.

Throughout her 13‑month recovery, Brink has spoken candidly about the mental hurdles of rehabilitation.

"I definitely feel like I'm a more mentally resilient person now," she said. "Just finding out more about myself… I’m tougher than I thought... If I can come back from this, there's not much I can't do." 

A Village Approach: Leaning on Fellow Athletes

Murray’s own comeback story is well documented.

He tore his left ACL in April 2021, missed the entire 2021‑22 NBA season, then returned in October 2022 to eventually help lead the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023.

During Denver's title run, Murray averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 20 postseason games.

This past season, now over three years since his return from the injury, he averaged a career-high 21.4 points in 36.1 minutes across 67 games (a career-high 41.3 minutes in the postseason).

Aside from Murray, Brink also reportedly leaned on the support from Olympic gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn, who came back from a right ACL tear in 2014 to win an Olympic bronze in 2018 and several World Championship medals.

What Cameron Brink's Return Means for the LA Sparks

Brink’s re‑entry arrives at a pivotal moment for Los Angeles.

The Sparks have turned around a slow start, improving from an 8‑32 record in 2024 to riding a five‑game winning streak coming into tonight’s matchup.

Brink's defensive presence, shot‑blocking ability and versatility in the frontcourt are expected to complement a roster headlined by veteran guard Kelsey Plum, who just competed in her fourth consecutive WNBA All-Star Game.

Tonight’s matchup against the Aces offers the first glimpse of what a fully healthy Brink can contribute to a team fighting for a playoff spot.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.