Despite the 81-92 Loss at Home, Sparks Rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson Shine in Their WNBA Career Debuts

Tonight’s home game for the Los Angeles Sparks may not have turned out the way they wanted. However, despite the team’s loss, there were some incredible individual performances that echoed through the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. A couple of those standout displays came from the 2024 draftees who entered their WNBA career with a bang. Both Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson stood out when the Sparks really needed, giving the visiting Atlanta a tough competition.

Sparks has a completely new face this year. Not only are the players very young in this team but Curt Miller has also been around for just a year as the head coach. Despite the lack of experience in the pro league, the team was able to make the veterans in the opposing team sweat. Forcing a tie in every quarter, neither did the two rookies shy away from making a mark.

Cameron Brink displayed her state-level volleyball skills tonight as she denied shots from many players. Bringing an early lead to LA, she added a total of 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks with 4 assists distributed. Certainly, the former Cardinal was all over the place. Not only were her defenses high, but she also delivered on the frontcourt with 2 of 3 shots from beyond the arc, totaling her field goals to 4 of 6.

ESPN quickly took over their Instagram account to post how immaculate the no-brainer three from Cameron Brink was. They captioned the post, “Crossover ➡️ Dime ➡️ First three of her career 👏”

However, she was not the only one who turned up the heat in their home opener tonight. Showing off her skills, Rickea Jackson also proved her worth against the Atlanta Dreams.

If Cameron Brink added her first three of the W, Rickea Jackson beat the buzzer

Tara VanDerveer’s prodigy was surely quick with her buckets, blocks, and threes. However, the former Lady Vol– Jackson — too was quick on her feet. In fact, her buzzer-beater layup after a steal from Haley Jones made it possible for the Sparks to tie their scores 48-48 at the end of halftime. Tonight, she added 7 points in total with 3 shots from the field and one with a free throw. Jackson also added 3 rebounds for the team with 1 steal.

The official Instagram account of the LA Sparks showed off the No. 2’s dominance against the Dream. They captioned their post, “Rickea said 🗣️ GIMME THAT!”

“They’re both really special in different ways. I’m glad we got both of them, and I think this is right where they’re meant to be,” Sparks’ guard Layshia Clarendon said of the rookies. “I think they’re just going to keep growing and learning.”

Apart from Cameron Brink and Jackson, Clarendon also put out great numbers, grabbing her very first triple-double of the WNBA career tonight. She ended the home loss with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. All in all, the team has clearly proved that this season is different for them. As they get on the road for Vegas, it will be thrilling to see how the team that does not give up easily goes against the two-time World Champions.