Cameron Brink shares post-surgery photo alongside long-time boyfriend (and her dog) after LA Sparks rookie's season-ending knee injury
- READ MORE: Clark, Reese send Brink encouragement after season-ending injury
- READ MORE: Brink CARRIED off court after screaming in pain
- READ MORE: Brink admits white and feminine privilege exists in WNBA
Cameron Brink is officially on the mend.
The injured Los Angeles Sparks rookie shared a post-surgery photo on Instagram after having the ACL in her left knee repaired.
'So much change, yet so much joy,' the 6-foot-4 Instagram sensation captioned the post, which also featured her long-time boyfriend, Ben Felter, and her dog, Olive.
The Sparks will have to play without Brink for the remainder of the year due to the injury, which also forced her off the US Olympic 3x3 team. She's been replaced by Sparks teammate Dearica Hamby.
Brink met Felter while the two attended Stanford. Felter was a member of the rowing team with the Cardinal, whereas she was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and a national champion on the basketball team.
Brink shared a post-surgery photo of herself with boyfriend, Ben Felter, and her dog, Olive
Brink continued to use crutches after surgery while her boyfriend carried her dog, Olive
Months earlier, Felter revealed on Instagram that the couple has been together for three years.
'Three years together, a day to celebrate the soul that makes me whole,' he wrote in the caption alongside a romantic photo of the couple.
Felter has an impressive resume, according to his LinkedIn page. Most recently he worked with the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) after graduating in his native Palo Alto with a master's degree in science.
And, according to his Stanford rowing bio page, Felter is a three-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selection.
The Instagram post's optimistic tone comes in stark contrast to her injury earlier this month.
Brink had to be helped off the court in the first quarter of the Sparks' 79-70 loss to Connecticut on June 18. Brink played under four minutes and committed one foul before getting hurt.
Once over to the sideline, the No. 2 pick in the draft hobbled toward the locker room, but was forced to stop as a result of the pain. A pair of Sparks personnel lifted Brink off her feet and carried her to the locker room.
Brink had to be helped off the court during the Sparks' loss to Connecticut on June 18
Months earlier, Felter revealed on Instagram that the couple has been together for three years
Brink included some photos of herself with her dog, which she named 'Olive'
'You never think it will happen to you. And despite all the hard work sometimes it does. This is hard to fathom but I know it will only make me stronger,' Brink wrote in a post to Instagram.
'I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life — I'm not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it. It's not goodbye basketball it's just a see you later. I'm always so thankful for your thoughts and prayers.'
The 22-year-old Brink came into the game averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in her first season for Los Angeles (4-11). She's tied with A'ja Wilson for the second-most blocks in the WNBA.
'Except for the 2019 season I've lost a starter to injury every single year I've been a head coach in this league,' Curt Miller said. 'You just have to have the mentality of next person up and rally around it.'
This is the second consecutive Olympics that the US team will have to replace one of its original players. Katie Lou Samuelson missed the 2021 Tokyo Games after she caught COVID right before the Olympics. She was replaced by Jackie Young, who helped the team go on to win a gold medal.
