Aug 15, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) celebrates with Los Angeles Sparks guard Julie Allemand (20) and Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) and Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) against the Dallas Wings during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Sparks on the Brink of a Playoff Spot

Originally posted on Stanford Cardinal on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Sparks have been without some key pieces to their roster for much of the season, but they're now operating with more of a full roster, and they're making a push towards a playoff spot, following the return of former Stanford Cardinal Cameron Brink and Tennessee star Rae Burrell.

The Sparks sit at 16-17 and are 7-3 in their past ten. They're also just a half-game behind the Seattle Storm, who have gone 3-7 in that same stretch. With 11 games to go in the regular season, the Sparks are picking the right time to make a push.

The one interesting wrinkle here is that LA's remaining schedule includes two games against the Washington Mystics (15-18), who are just a game back of the Sparks, and 1.5 games back of the Storm. LA will also have one more head-to-head matchup with former Cardinal Nneka Ogwumike on September 1, which could be a huge matchup in terms of playoff implications.

There are also two more games against the 9-25 Dallas Wings (and Stanford product Hayley Jones), and a home game against Lexie Hull and the 18-16 Indiana Fever. Those six games will be key in cementing Los Angeles' spot in the playoffs.

But the other five games will be good tests for them as well, and could serve as potential get-ready games. They'll have two against the Phoenix Mercury (19-13), who sit in fourth place in the standings, along with two against the Atlanta Dream (21-12), who sit in third. The final game remaining is also the last one on the schedule, and it's at home against the Las Vegas Aces.

Since her return, Cameron Brink has been playing limited minutes, maxing out at 17 in a game on August 7 against the Connecticut Sun. In 12 minutes last night, she scored three points, going 3-of-4 from the free throw line, and grabbed seven rebounds, blocking three shots. She even added a steal for good measure.

She's averaging 5.9 points, four rebounds, 0.8 steals, and two blocked shots per game coming off of her injury, which isn't terribly far off from what she was putting up in her limited time as a rookie last year. She's going to continue to develop heading into next season, presumably getting reps in Unrivaled in early 2026, and should be ready to make a jump for the 2026 WNBA season.

While she's still limited a bit due to the injury, she's still filling up the stat line in the minutes she's being given, which is a good sign for the future of the Sparks.

This article first appeared on Stanford Cardinal on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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