Sparks Replace: With Cameron Brink out for the season, what’s the outlook for Los Angeles?

There hasn’t been a lot successful occurring for the Los Angeles Sparks, however they’d their greatest lack of the season final week towards the Connecticut Solar. No, not as a result of they lost 79-70, one in all 5 losses the staff has suffered throughout their present highway journey.

The precise defeat occurred 4 minutes into the sport, when Cameron Brink went down with a non-contact injury.

It did not look good in actual time as she screamed in agony and needed to be carried to the locker room. The next day, the worst-case situation turned a actuality because the group introduced she had torn her ACL.

Brink’s absence is devastating for the younger Sparks. She was averaging 7.5 factors, 5.3 rebounds and a pair of.3 blocks per sport and began in all 15 of her video games. Changing her is not possible, however that’s the job for Sparks head coach Curt Miller.

Li Yueru’s probability to shine

If Los Angeles’ first sport sans Brink is any indication, Yueru would be the new starter and get most of Brink’s minutes within the rotation. It might seem to be quite a bit for Yueru, however the Chinese language middle has proven flashes of brilliance and can now have an extended leash to make errors and study from them on the WNBA stage.

Towards the New York Liberty, she had a modest three-point and two-rebound sport. Hopefully, she will come into her personal and proceed to enhance so the Sparks can add to their four-win complete.

Which bench participant will step up?

With the lineup brief one other participant, the bench turns into way more necessary. The Sparks have struggled to get constant manufacturing from the non-starters, however they’ve gamers with the potential to take action.

Lexie Brown was capturing 41 % from 3-point vary final season, however her common has fallen to 30 % in 2024. If she will present constant outdoors capturing once more, it may assist the staff improve its 77.3 factors per sport complete, which is the third lowest within the league. Zia Cooke is a guard who has hardly ever seen the ground in 2024 however lastly obtained a possibility versus the Liberty and performed nicely. She ended the sport with 13 factors on 4-for-7 capturing. Rae Burrell is one other participant who has been glued to the bench earlier than getting some run with Brink out. She took benefit of her time, taking part in 22 minutes and scoring 11 factors whereas grabbing 4 rebounds towards New York.

Brink’s absence shouldn’t be good for this franchise, but when this trio can step up, it may present that also they are a part of the Sparks’ future and assist the staff win some video games as they try and return to the playoffs for the primary time since 2020.

Do not forget Azurá Stevens

Azurá Stevens has but to make her 2024 debut, and she or he is a participant who may very nicely assist flip this season round. In 2023, she had a profession 12 months, averaging 10.8 factors and 5.9 rebounds. It was thought that one other 12 months beneath coach Miller’s steering may take her to a different stage, similar to it has for Dearica Hamby. She is presently recovering from surgical procedure on her left arm, and no additional updates have been given, however she is predicted to play someday this 12 months.

The trail ahead will likely be a rocky one for Miller and the Sparks. This 12 months was all the time extra concerning the younger gamers’ improvement than a win-loss report. Now, probably the most necessary gamers is not going to get that improvement, and the staff will seemingly lose extra resulting from her absence.

Basketball, nonetheless, by no means stops, and no WNBA staff will give the Sparks grace due to their unhealthy luck. The video games will proceed, and Miller should discover the correct starters, develop his different rookie, Rickea Jackson, and see if bench gamers like Brown, Burrell and Cooke can step up and assist this staff win some video games.

Let’s all hope Brink has a wholesome restoration and the Sparks can spend the remainder of 2024 discovering out who needs to be on the roster in 2025.