Cameron Brink is not happy about the opportunity to practice with male athletes.
Last week, Los Angeles Sparks instructed via a social media post male athletes to complete an exception and register for training groups.
Brink said she was “Icked” by the WNBA franchise’s call to players of male practices.
“I guess my confession is that I’m really icked by the potential new practitioners,” Brink said.
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Cameron Brink from Los Angeles Sparks warms up before the game against Las Vegas Aces on June 9, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
She then pointed to some of the provocative comments she saw in the middle of the reaction to the posted flyer that included a photo of her and some of her teammates.
“It’s basically just a flyer it’s like me, dearica [Hamby]Rickeea [Jackson] And Kelsey [Plum]And it’s like ‘male practice players would have.’ And usually we use USC College guys who also do it for the women’s team at the USC. And all comments are like ‘let Cameron Brink back me’ or something about Rickeea or something about Kelsey. “Said Brink during a recent edition of” Straight to Cam “podcast.
Caitlin Clarks Fever,
Brink then expressed his preference for male athletes whose practice dynamics changed in the near future.
“Now I’m like, we have to grow these men vigorously, preferably they are gay … Who do we trust to enter this fitness center,” she said.
Podcast-Co host Sydel Curry-Le also floated a proposal by saying that the potential incoming athletes “need to undergo heavy HR training.”
Cameron Brink of Los Angeles Sparks looks at during the game against the sky on May 30, 2024 at the WinTrust Arena in Chicago. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
The kickers eventually closed the exercise team application window due to “overwhelming” demand.
“Thank you for your interest in our practice player tryouts at Los Angeles Sparks. Due to the overwhelming number of applicants we received, we will not process more applications. We value your time and interest with our organization,” A statement sent to the registration site read from Tuesday.
While Brink acknowledged that she made the comments in jokes, she also pointed to the differences in a physical nature that practicing men could present.
“I don’t box anyone out,” she said. “Lynne [Roberts]Our new coach will scream at me not to rebound. But I’m not boxing anyone. “
Cameron Brink of Los Angeles Sparks drives to the basket during the game against Aces on May 18, 2024 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)
Many women’s college basketball teams have used male practice players. At WNBA level, New York Liberty has sought out male athletes via Socia Media. The team said that male practice players are reviewing evaluations to determine if they are a “good fit” and to exclude “exterior motives.”
“We try to fit position needs, but also physical needs, as far as height and strength is concerned,” a Liberty spokesman told the New York Post last June. “But the most important piece is to make sure they come to fit well and do what we need them to do, and not use this to try to get a contract with a team or get one in with the players or have any external motives.”
Sparks said the team always works to promote a respectful environment for its athletes and pointed to the weight it puts on the player’s safety.
“To clarify, as always for our training group -Tryouts, no Sparks players will join or be present,” the team said in a statement. “The use of players in male practice is a well -established practice in both WNBA and Women’s College Basketball, and the sparks have used this approach since the league’s start in 1997.
“In addition, all players selected for the practice team are reviewing a thorough background control process to ensure the safety and well -being of our athletes.”
Brink was the second overall choice in last year’s WNBA draft. She suffered a season-ending ACL injury in June. She average 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds over 15 games in her rookie season.
