Everything is working for the Los Angeles Sparks right now.
After a rocky start, the Sparks have won eight of their last nine games and fought their way back into the playoff race. Over this stretch, Kelsey Plum has caught fire — averaging 21.2 points and 6.8 assists per game, pushing 50/40/90 shooting splits. But she's not the only one. Azurá Stevens, Dearica Hamby and second-year wing Rickea Jackson have all been putting up big numbers with elite efficiency.
At some point, regression to the mean is going to bring some of those shooting percentages down. But the return of Cameron Brink for the last four games gives the Sparks a new dimension and the potential to carry this momentum deep into the postseason.
Brink is still working up her endurance level after spending more than a year rehabbing from her ACL injury. She's yet to play more than 20 minutes in the four games since she returned, but her per-36 minutes numbers are eye-popping — 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 6.8 blocks. Yup, you read that right. 6.8 blocks per 36 minutes, 11 total in 58 minutes.
You've probably seen the clip of her monstrous two-handed block on Damiris Dantas, but that was one of just five blocks she recorded in that game, in just 16 minutes.
BLOCKING MACHINE 😤
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 6, 2025
Last night, Cameron Brink tied her career-high with FIVE blocks in the @LASparks 100-91 win over the Fever!#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/PwXBodXdNt
Brink is a lot more than just a rim protector, she's also shooting 7-of-20 from beyond the arc and has the versatility to be a connector at both ends. But her interior presence has been a game-changer.
So far, the Sparks have allowed just 98.3 points per 100 possessions — against the Aces, Storm, Fever and Sun — with Brink on the floor. That's a huge drop from their full season mark of 108.2 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 11th in the WNBA. It's also one of the reasons the Sparks have outscored opponents by an average of 8.9 points per 100 possessions with her on the floor.
With a high-level defense, Cameron Brink and the Sparks could be a problem
Interior defense has been a major issue for the Sparks this season. On the season, about 51 percent of their opponents' shots have come within 14 feet of the basket, and they're shooting 53 percent on those shots. With Brink on the floor, those numbers are down to 49 percent and 45 percent, respectively.
Those may seem like small changes, but they're significant and may not even reflect the true ceiling of her impact. Remember, she 15 games as a rookie before tearing her ACL. She's still getting used to the responsibilities of an WNBA defense, and opposing scorers are still learning just how dangerous it can be to attempt a shot anywhere near her. She's going to get better and, eventually, opponents are going to adjust by challenging her less often.
Head coach Lynne Roberts summed it up best, after the Sparks' win over the Fever: “Cam’s defense, as I mentioned, is a game-changer. Literally.”
The Sparks still have work to do to firmly claim a playoff spot, but they're arguably the hottest team in the league, and putting Brink into this lineup gives them the potential to play even better than they are right now.