Cameron Brink's LA Sparks issue major statement after 6'4" star's concern goes viral

LA Sparks star Cameron Brink made headlines earlier this week after she shared her feelings about comments in the team's call for male practice players on social media. Brink stated that she was "icked out" by the comments in the post, which went viral.

In a statement to TMZ on Wednesday, the organization stated the following after evaluating the responses on their social media post regarding male practice squad tryouts and concern raised by Brink:

"The Los Angeles Sparks are committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all our players and want to emphasize that player safety remains our top priority. Additionally, any players selected for the practice squad will undergo a thorough background check process to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes."

The Sparks also confirmed that the players themselves will not be involved in the tryouts, suggesting that their only interaction would be with the practice roster created by the team after a thorough background check.

The team also clarified that it has used male practice squad players since the team was formed in 1997.

Cameron Brink made her statement about being uncomfortable with the Sparks announcement on her podcast on Monday

On the Straight to Cam podcast, Cameron Brink had spoken about feeling uncomfortable with regards to the idea of practicing with men, drawing from the creepy responses the public call for male squad players by the Sparks had received.

"All the comments are just completely out of pocket. ... I'm really icked out by the potential new practice players. ... All the comments are like 'Let Cameron Brink back me down', something about Rickea [Jackson], or something about Kelsey [Plum].

"Now I'm like, first of all, we need to heavily vet these men. Preferably they're gay." stated Brink, speaking about her concerns about the LA Sparks' idea to introduce a male practice squad for the team.

Brink stated the team was used to practicing with men from USC who are also used to playing against the USC women's rosters. She also joked about head coach Lynne Roberts shouting at her for not rebounding as she would not be boxing anyone out.

Cameron Brink, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, is working her way back from a torn ACL. She played in 15 games during her rookie season, averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.