Hours Before Cameron Brink’s Injury, Kia Nurse Shared Leadership Responsibilities Around Rookie Teammates: “They Give Me a Lot of Joy”

The world came to a standstill when the No. 2 draft pick, Cameron Brink injured her left knee in the first quarter of the LA Sparks’ 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun. It occurred when she was headed for the basket, though she slowly got up but couldn’t hold it and fell again on the sidelines. She was then taken to the locker room by two staff members. Before getting injured, she couldn’t score any points, however, she committed a foul and was later ruled out of the game.

Only a few hours before the game, her veteran teammate, Kia Nurse, shared insights on how she guides them from her experiences and how they light up her day. Let’s find out what she said.

Kia Nurse on her team’s rookies

In the recent interview, Kia Nurse joined in the conversation with Keyshawn Johnson and talked about what it’s like to be a veteran on the team playing alongside rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson and how she enjoys their company.

“We’ve got two incredible rookies here with the LA Sparks and Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson and they’re both want to learn they’re willing to learn they’re willing to ask questions but they’re also Uber talented so a lot of times they can just rely on their talent out there because they’re smart they know where to be at the right times…When I’m out there with them they give me a lot of joy and a lot of happiness a lot of times,” Nurse said, via All Facts No Brakes. She describes her leadership around the rookies’ eagerness to learn new strategies and how they don’t shy away from implementing their own gameplay in clutch situations.

Being a rookie in the major league can be an overwhelming thing on its own. Besides, the players have to adjust according to the team’s requirements and strategies. Moreover, they need to develop their game to the collective and versatile level and they might have to forgo some of their old ways too.

But how did she help them navigate through everything? Being a rookie, they are susceptible to facing anxious situations at times. How does she guide them at that time? Let’s find out.

The veteran doing veteran things

Understanding these kinds of struggles a rookie has to go through, Kia being a senior player tries to help them out whenever possible alongside having some fun with them. “It’s just helping them with the nerves and smiling at them letting them know it’s okay and they’re doing the right things out there um because everyone else on the outside will probably tell you what you’re doing wrong my job is to make sure they know what they’re doing right.”

Moments like these only cement the relationship between a rookie and their vet and Kia is setting one such example of great leadership. It has been more than half a decade since Kia Nurse’s prominence in the league. The All-Star has remarkably navigated her way into becoming one of the league’s best players per se.

As for Brink’s injury, it does put a lot of things in jeopardy for the team, the league, and the USA Basketball as she is one of the players of the U.S. women’s 3×3 Olympic team. On the other hand, the Sparks lost their fourth game out of their 7-game road trip. But who knows this could be a blessing in disguise for the Sparks center Li Yueru as it’s her second season in the league and she could shine all the way through.

For more such updates tune into our platform and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video: