Cameron Brink's night ended early after a nasty collision with Breanna Stewart during the Los Angeles Sparks' wild 85-81 loss to the New York Liberty on Thursday. Now, head coach Lynne Roberts has given an update on what the team knows about a return timeline.

"Cam's getting evaluated right now. She took a brutal hit to the ribs," Roberts said. "The docs are looking at her right now. That's all I know right now."

The Sparks were mounting a remarkable comeback in the fourth quarter after falling behind 69-41.

Los Angeles scored 21 unanswered points to cut the deficit to seven, with Brink playing a role in the surge. She knocked down a midrange jumper before drawing an offensive foul from Stewart.

Stewart drove toward the basket and made contact with Brink around the midsection. Brink immediately went down and remained on the floor for several minutes, appearing to be in significant pain. She was eventually helped off the court and did not return.

As per the head coach's update via The Baller Magazine's clip on August 13, there is currently no official diagnosis or timetable for Brink's return.

The incident came after Brink had already been involved in another collision earlier in the quarter, when she and teammate Rae Burrell banged heads.

Despite leaving the game, Brink finished with nine points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal in 19 minutes.

The injury adds another setback to a difficult stretch for Brink, who missed roughly a month earlier this season after suffering an ankle sprain on June 15. She returned to action on July 15.

Brink is also continuing her comeback from the torn ACL that ended her 2024 rookie season. The former No. 2 overall pick has averaged 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks this season.

Sparks nearly complete historic comeback without Brink

The Sparks came within four points of completing one of the biggest comebacks in WNBA history after trailing by 28 points.

Rae Burrell powered the fourth-quarter rally with 20 points in the period, finishing with a career-high 28. Los Angeles eventually cut New York's lead to 82-79 with 26.6 seconds remaining.

Burrell then brought the Sparks within one with a reverse layup, but Sabrina Ionescu answered with two free throws to restore New York's three-point advantage.

Ariel Atkins missed a potential game-tying three with seven seconds remaining, ending Los Angeles' comeback attempt. Ionescu added another free throw with 3.2 seconds left.

Roberts praised the team's fight despite the loss, pointing to the dramatic improvement in the second half. The Sparks gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the first half but only three after halftime.

Read more on Her Sports Nation.

Written by

Nilendu Brahma

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote