Curt Miller’s worst fears were realized Tuesday night. And no, it’s not his team’s disappointing 10th loss against the Connecticut Sun. The franchise’s star rookie Cameron Brink has been forced to sit on the sidelines for the remainder of her debut season due to an unfortunate torn ACL in her left knee. Following this, they faced another uphill task as they took a challenging endeavor to the Barclays Center next.

But before that, the 2017 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year reflected on how the current unavailability of Brink affects the locker room. However, his thoughts provided a broader picture that goes beyond the domains of a basketball court. According to the pre-game press conference, Miller said, “Obviously a devastating circumstance of the injury. I think you’ve heard some of the players immediately talk about it. Cam’s (Cameron Brink) presence on the floor is one thing, but she has a positive vibe. A presence about her on a daily basis that brings joy and uplifts our team. It’s certainly something that we will miss.” 

The 2024 Lisa Leslie Award winner has been an instrumental part of the team’s offense as well as defense. Seemingly, she was averaging 8.1 points, and 5.7 rebounds along with 2.5 blocks per game before entering the contest on Tuesday. Apart from this, Brink’s participation was also doing wonders for the overall chemistry of the squad.

In the meantime, Curt Miller has a handful of players capable of filling in the spot.

Who are the ideal replacements for Cameron Brink?

The absence of Cameron Brink opens the doors for multiple Sparks ballers eager to showcase their potential. The backup center Li Yueru is slowly flourishing in the Sparks colors this season. This was evident when she delivered a career-high 18 points on Seattle’s home turf. Moreover, she finished the game on Brink’s behalf against Connecticut with 11 points while being 5-of-6 in her field goals.

Another worthy option for Miller and the Sparks could be their No.23 Azura Stevens. Anyhow, she herself is recovering from a left arm injury while being a pro in China. According to trusted sources, her reevaluation will take place this Friday. Simultaneously, if the franchise is looking to expand its players to a 13th roster, they can have a look at Queen Egbo. The 23-year-old has been recently waived off by the Sun. Further, the Hungarian center Virag Kiss’ training camp experience can also come in handy.

Surely, Cameron Brink’s absence will hurt the Spark’s playoff chances. It will be interesting to see how the franchise approaches the upcoming few days without her. The fans will hope that the team can recover from this blow soon enough.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.