The LA Sparks are in a precarious situation right now, and the injury scars are only worsening it. After three straight wins, the Sparks got their season back on track. But the blowout loss against the Golden State Valkyries gave them a reality check. Now, to make things worse, the availability of Cameron Brink and Kelsey Plum for the next game is uncertain.

LA Sparks beat reporter John W. Davis recently shared an update on X to announce that Plum is questionable with a left lower leg injury. Meanwhile, Brink has been ruled out against the Minnesota Lynx with a left ankle injury.

Plum has already missed three games early in the season after suffering a right ankle sprain during one of her team’s practice sessions. Credible reports regarding the source of Plum’s recent injury remain unknown. Although she hasn’t been ruled out yet, it will be interesting to see if the Sparks take the risk of playing her with an injury.

Cameron Brink’s situation, on the other hand, is even more serious, and it stems from the Golden State Valkyries game. The Sparks guard twisted her left ankle in the second half of the game and even had to be carried off to the bench by her teammates.

Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts didn’t have a strong assessment regarding Brink’s injury in the post-game press conference. But given her unavailability in the Lynx game, Brink’s injury seems pretty serious.

“I mean, I saw her in the locker room, but she’s getting evaluated right now,” Roberts had said.

Cameron Brink has had a tough time with injuries throughout her WNBA career. She hasn’t played 20 games in any of her seasons so far and has primarily been in and out of the rotation after her ACL tear in the 2024 season.

But coming into the 2026 season, Brink looked better than ever. In fact, she hasn’t missed a single game before the Minnesota Lynx game. Her physical tenacity improved, and her fitness even mirrors her production on the court.

But this injury again puts that improvement in the back seat. The actual nature of Brink’s injury and an estimated return timeline haven’t been revealed by the franchise. Anyways, that’s a topic for later discussions, because their immediate concern is to tackle a high-flying opposition that is currently 11-3.

LA Sparks Face a Tough Ask Against the Minnesota Lynx Without Cameron Brink

Cameron Brink might not be an outright starter for the LA Sparks. But her significance in the team’s rotation is no less. She is the team’s defensive anchor, despite coming off the bench most of the time.

The LA Sparks as a team haven’t done well in defense this season. In fact, they have one of the worst defensive ratings in the league (111.1 as per WNBA.com). Yet, Brink has been one of the team’s silver linings in this regard, shouldering the team’s defensive responsibilities.

At the moment, she is currently leading the Sparks in blocks (1.5 per game). Notably, she is also fifth on the WNBA leaderboard this season. Besides, Brink also gives her team a reliable scoring option off the bench. The third-year forward is having her career season in points, averaging 9.2 per game.

Without such a player, the Sparks are likely to struggle against the Minnesota Lynx. Although the Lynx are dealing with a few injuries themselves to players like Napheesa Collier, they still have an array of players who can make a daunting impact.

Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams, and Natasha Howard have been ripping through defenses all season. For Sparks, minimizing their impact isn’t optional. But doing that without Cameron Brink can be too much to ask from the Sparks’ defense.

On top of that, Kelsey Plum’s uncertainty is a major caveat for the Sparks, given that she is one of the team’s crucial offensive players (averaging 25 points per game, per ESPN). In their absences, players like Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby will have to step up against the Lynx.

The ESPN analysts have still given the Sparks 50.7% chances of winning the game. What are your predictions for this game on June 17? Do let us know in the comments.