Rookie WNBA star Cameron Brink suffered a torn ACL in a Tuesday game and will miss the rest of the season.
The 22-year-old Los Angeles Sparks forward will also miss the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, and fans believe Caitlin Clark could be next in line to take his place.
Brink had to be carried off the floor during the Sparks’ loss to the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.
She suffered a knee injury and screamed in pain during the sequence.
Brink was trying to get past Suns center Brionna James with the ball but fell awkwardly to the ground.
Teammates helped the Sparks rookie, who limped to the bench and shook her head before receiving attention from medical staff.
One day after the injury, the Sparks confirmed that Brink suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
After she undergoes ACL surgery, the Stanford product will likely be out of action for up to a year due to rehabilitation.
Brink will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 WNBA season and this summer’s Olympics.
She was named to the USA Women’s 3×3 Basketball Team earlier this month.
Fans now believe that Clark, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, will replace Brink on the team.
“The smart move would be to go for Caitlin Clark,” one commented.
“Catlin Clark should finally play in the Olympics,” said another.
“The women’s team could make a lot of noise and bring Caitlin Clark into the fold with Cameron Brink missing due to injury,” wrote a third.
The NCAA Division 1 all-time leader in scoring Clark not being chosen for the USA women’s basketball team has sparked much debate throughout the basketball world.
With Brink off the U.S. Women’s Olympic 3×3 team, fans think Clark could be on the roster alongside Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard and Hailey Van Lith.
However, this cannot happen because Clark has not competed in any 3×3 competition, which makes her ineligible.
Brink’s Sparks teammate, forward Dearica Hamby, is likely to be his replacement.
Even if Clark had been eligible, the U.S. team likely would have replaced Brink with another big instead of a guard.
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