WNBA Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
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The No. 2 pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft’s rookie season has come to an unexpected end with the Los Angeles Sparks announcing that Cameron Brink has suffered a torn ACL in her left knee.

The injury occurred when the 22-year-old forward slipped while driving to the basket in the first quarter of the Sparks’ 79-70 defeat to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. After being helped off the court, Brink remained in visible pain before carried to the locker room.

After the Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark with the top pick, the Sparks drafted Brink, who had enjoyed a storied college career at Stanford. A three-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, the Oregon native was named an All-American in each of the past three seasons and was twice named the nation’s top defensive player. She was also a key contributor to the Cardinal’s national championship-winning season in 2021.

Through the first 15 games of her rookie season, Brink had averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. She was also slated to represent the United States in 3×3 women’s basketball in the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

After the Sparks announced the news of Brink’s injury on Wednesday, many from the WNBA and sports worlds took to social media to react.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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