EXCLUSIVE: Kelsey Plum and Sarah Ashlee Barker raved about Cameron Brink’s presence, despite the Los Angeles Sparks star currently rehabbing from a torn ACL injury she sustained in her rookie year
20:40 ET, 07 May 2025
LOS ANGELES – Both Kelsey Plum and Sarah Ashlee Barker understand just how much of a presence Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink is, whether on or off the floor.
Brink currently is rehabbing from a torn ACL injury she sustained against the Connecticut Sun, just 15 games into her rookie season. Since her injury in June 2024, the Sparks have undergone massive change, with a new head coach in Lynne Roberts, Plum being traded to Los Angeles, and a roster overhaul, which includes the addition of Barker, the rookie sensation out of Alabama.
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Despite being off the court for almost a year, Brink has been present and attacking the rehab process fiercely, as she was spotted on the exercise bike and other machines during Sparks training camp. Speaking exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports, Plum shared what she’s seen from Brink as the star continues to rehabilitate.
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“Yeah, I think Cam is very excited to be back, and whatever that time is, it’s going to be best for her,” Plum said of her new teammate. “Their medical team will decide, but she’s extremely talented and she’s so raw. And what she did in just the 14 games she played in shows her potential and what she can be in this league.”
The two-time WNBA champion also lauded the 23-year-old’s defensive ability, with Plum believing Brink has what it takes to be one of the premier players in the league on that end of the floor. She added: “I’ve said it before, I think she can be a Defensive Player of the Year and really be the anchor for us. So Cam’s doing everything she can to get healthy and she’ll be back soon.”
This is not the first time Plum has shown her faith in Brink reaching her ceiling as the best defender in the league. During her introductory press conference, the former Las Vegas Aces star guard was asked about Brink and that was when Plum declared her new costar will be the best defensive player in the league, in due time.
What’s more, Brink told SLAM Magazine last year that Plum had been advising her on what to expect after being drafted, with the star guard being Brink’s “sounding board.” “They’ve set my standards very high that it’s going to be really hard and that I’m going to get beat up,” she shared at the time.
“I’m really going to give myself grace and know that there’s a learning curve, but also be hungry and know I deserve to be here.”
For Barker, the star rookie understands that Brink’s hunger to be great is undeniable. Speaking exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports, the 23-year-old shared that while Brink is a force on the floor – calling her an “amazing player” – she also is a force off it, based on Barker’s interactions with the star.
“I think for one thing, she’s doing a great job leading off the floor. Her voice is still there. Her voice – it still matters,” Barker said. The rookie also revealed how welcoming and accommodating Brink has been to her and her fellow rookies, going out of her way to make sure the adjustment period is not as steep for them.
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“She’s been great to me, with just telling me, ‘Hey, if you ever need anything, if you need to just come over and sit at my house. If you need to wash clothes, if you need to do whatever, like she has been so great to me,” the former Crimson Tide star continued. “And even all of us rookies in general, always having a smile on her face.
“And then obviously she’s working really, really hard to get back. And so I think that a lot of us have a lot of respect for that and understand that she’s going to get back out here as soon as she can and when she’s ready.”
In the end, the rookie agreed with Plum’s assessment that it will only be a matter of time before Brink is holding the Defensive Player of the Year Award at the end of a future season.
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“Yeah, I mean, everyone saw what she did at the beginning of her rookie season last year. And so imagine her being back and healthy, what that looks like. And I think that that’s something that is very likely and very possible for her,” she concluded.
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