Video: Cam Brink Talks 'Hardest Part' of Injury Rehab; 'I'm Not An Athlete Right Now'

Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink said she's starting to enter the "hardest part" of her recovery from the torn ACL that ended her 2024 WNBA season.

Brink said on the newest episode of her Straight to Cam (Wave Sports & Entertainment) digital series that she's "not an athlete right now" because her conditioning has suffered so much during her layoff. She said the same thing applies to her basic basketball skills.

This is a relatable experience for anybody who has suffered a major muscle injury or something similar. The recovery is long and arduous, and it's a process that can't be rushed.

Nine-time All-Star Paul George missed almost the entire 2014-15 NBA season because of a leg fracture he suffered in a Team USA exhibition.

In 2018, he said he had reached out to fellow NBA star Gordon Hayward, who fractured his ankle in the opening night of the 2017-18 campaign. During those conversations, George emphasized the mental toll of rehab.

"That's one of the biggest things I told him because I knew it was going to be frustrating, where you feel like you're getting better, you're about to turn that corner and then you're going to have some setbacks," he said, per ESPN's Chris Forsberg.

"That's part of doing so well, putting so much stress on it, that sometimes it's going to get sore, sometimes it's going to feel like you shouldn't have did something. It's all part of the process. You gotta build, go through some walls. You gotta build some confidence and trust that leg all over again. But I told him there's going to be some good days and there's going to be some bad days."

It sounds like a lot of that applies to Brink as well.

The 23-year-old had an encouraging rookie campaign. Through 15 games, she was averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 21.9 minutes per contest.

Brink remains a large part of the Sparks' future, and the team is looking to make a jump in 2025 following the acquisition of three-time All-Star Kelsey Plum.

First-year head coach Lynne Roberts will hope Brink, when she's ready to suit up, can help L.A. make its first trip to the playoffs since 2020.