Last year, Cameron Brink’s rookie season hit the brakes early, cutting her WNBA bucket list short. She didn’t get the chance to go head-to-head with every star who made her eyes widen, whether out of admiration or mild intimidation. But she did manage to single out a few who gave her the toughest time: A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner. Fast forward to her return, and while she still awaits the match with the Mercury power couple, Brink did run into Wilson again. And let’s just say, A’ja wasted no time reminding the Sparks sophomore why she topped that “most difficult to play against” list.

The Los Angeles Sparks hosted the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena on the day Cameron Brink finally made her return to the court. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, right after Caitlin Clark, saw her rookie campaign cut short after just 15 games due to injury. Over a year of rehab later, she’s back, and everyone was excited. But it doesn’t look like Brink is getting the kind of comeback she was hoping for, not with the reigning MVP on the other side.

The Los Angeles Sparks suffered a 74-89 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. And that’s after looking like they were on the verge of a blowout 20+ defeat before the fourth quarter. The reason for that damage? Who else but A’ja Wilson. Wilson showed up in MVP mode, rocking Mamba & Mambacita Sports Academy gear as she strolled into Kobe Bryant’s old stomping grounds. The tribute didn’t go unnoticed: Vanessa Bryant herself reposted the look on her Instagram Story with a heart emoji. A’ja took that love and ran with it, straight through the Sparks defense.

She finished the game with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. But not before shutting down the Sparks in first half. She dropped 17 points in the first quarter alone, making the Aces’ up and down season so far feel like a dream. She capped the half with a buzzer-beater, bringing her tally to 23 points, already surpassing her season average of 21.6, along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. These were stats that blew away even the official WNBA pages. It marked her fourth 30-point performance of the season and helped the Aces wrap up their four-game road trip with back-to-back wins. She even made her first 10 shots of the night, finally missing one midway through the second quarter.

This had to feel like a full-circle moment for A’ja Wilson, maybe even a slightly dizzy one. After all, this was her first matchup against the Sparks since that early June game where things got a little too real. During that loss, Wilson tried to swat away a Dearica Hamby layup attempt and ended up getting clocked in the face. The block technically worked, but so did gravity. Wilson stumbled back, clutching her face, while the game carried on like nothing happened. She exited just before the third quarter with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, and a trip to concussion protocol.

But the deja vu doesn’t stop there. Flashback to July of last year: the Aces were rolling on a win streak, Wilson put up magical and similar numbers of 35 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, 6 blocks, and yet…the Sparks pulled off some late-game magic and stole the win anyway. Same month, same vibes, same A’ja dominance, just with a different ending this time. Good for Wilson and Co., even if not for Brink’s side. After Sparks’ winning streak, they moved up two spots to eighth. However, they have now fallen to the 10th place.

Cameron Brink’s return falls flat

Cameron Brink’s WNBA career averages 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 assists across the 15 games she’s played. That torn ACL got in the way when she was just getting started. Though she’s finally returning after more than a year, the Sparks knew they couldn’t put much pressure on her. Still and all, her defensive presence is something everyone was looking forward to. After all, she averaged 2.3 blocks per game as a rookie, second only to A’ja Wilson’s 2.6. But if you stretch the numbers out to per-40 minutes? Brink took the crown with a whopping 4.2 blocks compared to A’ja’s 3.0. And when it came to facing the Aces, Brink made sure her presence was felt, she racked up 5 blocks each time she went up against them.

Sparks co-owner and Lakers legend, Magic Johnson also hyped the atmosphere when he posted, “My LA Sparks have won five games in a row and now they’ll have help from star player Cameron Brink! She will make her sophomore season debut tonight after suffering a season-ending injury last year.”

Although she wasn’t in the starting lineup, Brink received a huge standing ovation when she entered the court. After 13 months away, she made her first basket, a three in her very first shot. In the 14 minutes she was on the floor, the Sparks sophomore put up 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. However, let’s not judge her numbers. While it may take some time for Brink to fully find her rhythm, she’s finally back on the court, after a long rehab that put the brakes on the start of her WNBA journey.