UNCASVILLE, Conn. \u2014 Los Angeles rookie Cameron Brink tore the ACL in her left knee, the Sparks announced Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rookie forward had to be helped off the court after suffering the injury in the first quarter of the Sparks\u2019 79-70 loss to Connecticut on Tuesday night. Brink played under four minutes and committed one foul before getting hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once over to the sideline, the\u00a0No. 2 pick in the draft\u00a0<\/a>hobbled toward the locker room, but was forced to stop as a result of the pain. A pair of Sparks personnel lifted Brink off her feet and carried her to the locker room.<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 22-year-old Brink came into the game averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in her first season for Los Angeles (4-11). She\u2019s tied with A\u2019ja Wilson for the second-most blocks in the WNBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcept for the 2019 season I\u2019ve lost a starter to injury every single year I\u2019ve been a head coach in this league,\u201d Curt Miller said. \u201cYou just have to have the mentality of next person up and rally around it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brink is on the U.S. 3×3 team<\/a> for the Paris Olympics <\/a>and a replacement will have to be named for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sparks head to New York to play two games against the Liberty on Thursday and Saturday.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n