UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Sparks rookie Cameron Brink had to be helped off the court after suffering a knee injury during the first quarter of the team’s 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.
Brink played less than four minutes and committed one foul before getting hurt.
The No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Stanford, the 6-foot-4 forward appeared to slip and fell awkwardly while driving to the basket at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Brink, 22, got up slowly and hobbled to the sideline, then was carried to the locker room by two staff members.
Brink has started every game this season for the Sparks and entered Tuesday averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots. Her blocks average is tied for second in the WNBA.
Brink, who won a national championship with Stanford in 2021, is on the four-member U.S. women’s 3×3 team for the Paris Olympics.
DeWanna Bonner scored 16 points, Alyssa Thomas had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Sun beat the short-handed Sparks for their 10th straight victory in the series.
Connecticut (13-1) is off to its best 14-game start in franchise history. The Sun haven’t lost to the Sparks since July 30, 2020.
All five Sun starters scored in double figures. Tyasha Harris had 14 points, Brionna Jones added 13 and DiJonai Carrington 12.
Aari McDonald had 14 points and seven assists to lead the Sparks (4-11), who have lost the first four games of their seven-game road trip. Li Yueru added 11 points off the bench and rookie Rickea Jackson scored 10.
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Connecticut led 39-28 at halftime as both teams shot at least 50% from the field. The Sparks fell behind by turning the ball over 14 times in the first half.
The Sun closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run for a 15-point lead and cruised in the fourth. The Sparks finished with 22 turnovers.
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The Sparks play games against the New York Liberty on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT and Saturday at noon PT.