What happened to Lexie Brown? Reason behind Sparks guard's indefinite WNBA absence explored

After a promising start to her 2024 WNBA season, Lexie Brown is once again sidelined indefinitely with an illness. Brown’s absence is just another blow to the Los Angeles Sparks, who lost rookie Cameron Brink due to a torn ACL.

Brown’s indefinite absence stemmed from her battle with Chron’s disease, an illness she has been fighting since being diagnosed in November 2023.

Chron’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder that causes inflammation to one’s digestive tract, resulting in extreme weight loss and a decline in physique. It can also result in severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss, affecting one’s physical activity and life in general, according to Mayo Clinic.

Brown had undergone 11 surgeries for the disease last year as she only played 11 games in the 2023 season. Brown was only entering her prime last season, registering her career-high in her fourth game last season after never scoring 20 points or better since the 2019 WNBA season.

She averaged 12.4 points, and 2.4 assists, turning herself into a breakout star and a borderline All-star last season. Brown first noticed symptoms in last year’s training camp before asking for doctors’ opinions during the season after her disease worsened.

She attempted a comeback but it only lasted three games after surgery, ending her 2023 season. Now in her seventh WNBA season, Brown is back on the same path as last year.

Lexie Brown remembered her harrowing diagnosis last season

In a report by Andscape’s Jerry Bembry, Brown talked about what went through her head when he found her diagnosis last year.

“I was thinking what am I going to do,” Brown said. “I had worked six years to get this WNBA body, and it was gone. My mind was really all over the place. I was thinking am I going to play basketball again.”

Following her diagnosis, Brown’s doctors immediately found a medicine that treated her, according to the report. In the offseason, Brown’s symptoms subsided, which allowed her to return to the court and play.

Brown has been vocal about her illness in the hopes of raising awareness of the disease and helping those who are struggling to deal with the symptoms.

Lexie Brown’s 2024 season so far

Lexie Brown has been fielded in 16 games so far this year from which she started in eight of them. Brown averaged 8.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 23.7 minutes of playing time before going down with the illness once more.

These numbers come only a few months into her two-year extension with the Sparks. Lexie Brown signed the extension worth $195K last February in what was a surprise deal after indefinite pauses following her disease’s diagnosis. However, Brown could still return to the court like what she did last season.