With just 12 games left to play in the regular season, the Los Angeles Sparks are knocking on the door of the WNBA playoffs.
Seeking their first playoff berth since 2020, the Sparks have won seven of their last 10 games after a 6-14 start.
The play of Kelsey Plum (20.0 points and 6.1 assists per game – both good for fourth-best in the league) and Rickea Jackson has paired perfectly with the return of Cameron Brink after a 13-month absence. In her seven games back on the court, we’ve seen dominance from her as a shot-blocker and as a shooter.
But anxiety returned to Sparks fans on Tuesday, when, in a 105-97 loss to the New York Liberty, Brink played only five minutes after she tweaked her left ankle. She didn’t return to the game.
But on Thursday, she was practicing with her teammates and is not on the injury report for their road game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night. She will still be on a minutes restriction of 16 minutes.
Cameron Brink is practicing this morning with the Sparks.
— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) August 14, 2025
She was getting her left ankle taped up before halftime on Tuesday against the Liberty, after which she didn’t return to action. Looks fine today. @latimessports
Cameron Brink will be back but could be limited
In seven games, Brink is averaging 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots on 45.5 percent shooting from the field. She’s also averaging 43.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Brink suffered a season-ending ACL injury roughly one month into her rookie season.
The Sparks (15-17) are only a half-game behind the Seattle Storm (16-17) for the final playoff spot. The Storm have lost six-straight and eight of their last 10; they play the red-hot Atlanta Dream (21-11) on Friday.
Starting Friday, the Sparks will face a struggling Dallas (9-24) team three times. The Wings are out of playoff contention but monitoring a big injury of their own. Star rookie Paige Bueckers is day-to-day with a back injury, but the guard is listed as probable for Friday's came.
The Sparks could easily catch and pass the storm; they are only two games behind the sixth-place Indiana Fever (18-15). It won’t be hard to do when your offense is clicking everywhere. The Sparks have the third-best scoring offense in the WNBA (86.3 points per game) and move the ball incredibly well, too, averaging a fifth-best 20.8 assists per game.