The Los Angeles Sparks defense is falling like a pack of cards. At least without Cameron Brink on the floor. They had the worst defensive rating of 114.1 in the league before facing Portland. And they were allowing more than 90 points per game. The win against Portland was their best defensive display so far this season. And one WNBA journalist didn’t hesitate to point that out.

“Without Cameron Brink on the floor, the Sparks lack any resemblance of a defensive identity,” WNBA journalist Christan wrote on X. “Physicality is at a zero, there’s no clear intention or communication, and the there’s a welcome sign planted in the paint.”

Cameron Brink and Co. need to adapt to the changing refereeing dynamics of the league. The WNBA tightened officiating rules before the start of the season. There are new points of emphasis regarding off-the-ball contact and freedom of movement. And Brink has been at the receiving end of this. She has already been fouled out twice this season.

She infamously received a foul 30 seconds into the game against the Fever and already had two technical fouls. The memories of her bloody nose from a hard collision with Smith a few days back remain fresh. And it’s not just Cameron Brink who is struggling — The Sparks are now averaging 22 fouls per game.

LA did manage to restrict Portland to just 72 points, with just 36% shooting. But their defense has lacked any shape this season. They have also allowed the teams to run in the paint far too easily. And while their defense remains a problem, they are also not creating enough space going forward. Kelsey Plum could not get on the board against the Fire until the third quarter. And she leads the league in points. That’s how dysfunctional this team is right now. Cameron Brink’s high foul rate also hurts their rim protection.

Cameron Brink has also struggled with her minutes as well. She has just averaged a little over 18 minutes this season. While she is on court, the Sparks have also failed to utilize her 6ft 8 wingspan. Her physique and slick movement can aid the Sparks in scoring and shot blocking. After being on a three game losing streak, the Sparks were pretty buoyed to put up a good performance against the Fire.

“One thing that we’ve really been adamant about is getting the schemes that the coaches put us in and adhering to those schemes,” Nneka Ogwumike said after their win against Fire in a press statement. “We bought into that, and that allowed us to make adjustments on the schemes without feeling like we need to change something, because we weren’t originally executing what they had in plan for us, so I appreciated that.”

While the Sparks have earned some respite after this win, they are still 10th in the league. And a lot remains unanswered for them on the court.

Time is running out for Cameron and the Sparks

There seems to be little doubt about Cameron Brink as a raw talent. But she has, since her debut, only featured in 44 regular-season games. The ACL injury kept her mostly out of the 2024-25 season. She has shown sparks of her brilliance now and then- she is currently 5th in the league for blocks, but consistency remains poor.

The Sparks are surviving in parts due to the brilliance of veterans on the team like Nneka Ogwumike. She has carried some of the burden -she had a season of 17 rebounds against the Fire. Stop-gap solutions like having development players, namely Kate Martin, are also helping the team.

Coach Roberts is also emphasizing discipline in the team and is open to benching players if things don’t improve, she said before the win against Portland in a press release.

The Sparks have turned into a mid table team. This season is shaping up to be the same, with lackluster displays. This is leaving their fans wondering if they will ever see a playoff run with this group of players. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2020. That was 6 long years ago. Time is running out for Brink and Co. to make an impact.