Cameron Brink isn’t keen on the opportunity of practising alongside male athletes.
Final week, the Los Angeles Sparks instructed, through a social media put up, male athletes to fill out a waiver and register for apply squad tryouts.
Brink mentioned she was “icked out” by the WNBA franchise’s name for male apply gamers.
“I guess my confession is I’m really icked out by the potential new practice players,” Brink mentioned.
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Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks warms up earlier than the sport in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces on June 9, 2024, at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE through Getty Pictures)
She then pointed to a few of the provocative commentary she noticed amid the response to the posted flier, which featured a photograph of her and a few of her teammates.
“It’s basically just a flier, it’s like me, Dearica [Hamby], Rickea [Jackson] and Kelsey [Plum], and it’s like, ‘Male practice players wanted.’ And usually we use USC college guys that also do it for the women’s team at USC. And all the comments are like, ‘Let Cameron Brink back me down,’ or something about Rickea or something about Kelsey.” Brink mentioned throughout a latest version of the “Straight to Cam” podcast.
Brink then expressed her desire for male athletes ought to the apply dynamics change within the close to future.
“Now I’m like, we need to heavily vet these men, preferably they’re gay. … Who are we trusting to come into this gym,” she mentioned.
Podcast co-host Sydel Curry-Lee additionally floated a suggestion by saying the potential incoming athletes “need to go through heavy HR training.”
Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks appears on throughout the recreation in opposition to the Sky on Could 30, 2024, on the Wintrust Enviornment in Chicago. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE through Getty Pictures)
The Sparks ultimately closed the apply squad utility window as a result of “overwhelming” demand.
“Thank you for your interest in our Practice Player Tryouts at the Los Angeles Sparks. Due to the overwhelming number of applicants we have received, we will not be processing any more applications. We appreciate your time and interest with our organization,” a assertion posted to the registration web site learn as of Tuesday.
Whereas Brink acknowledged that she made the feedback in jest, she additionally pointed to the variations in physicality that practising about males may current.
“I’m not boxing anyone out,” she mentioned. “Lynne [Roberts], our new coach, is going to be screaming at me for not rebounding. But I’m not boxing out anyone.”
Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks drives to the basket throughout the recreation in opposition to the Aces on Could 18, 2024, at Michelob Extremely Enviornment in Las Vegas. (David Becker/NBAE through Getty Pictures)
Many ladies’s faculty basketball groups have utilized male apply gamers. On the WNBA stage, the New York Liberty have sought out male athletes through socia media. The workforce mentioned male apply gamers endure evaluations to find out whether or not they’re a “good fit” and to rule out any “ulterior motives.”
“We try to fit positional needs, but also physical needs, as far as height and strength,” a Liberty spokesperson advised the New York Put up final June. “But the most important piece is making sure they’re going to be a good fit and do what we need them to do and not use this to try and get a contract with a team or get an in with the players or have any ulterior motives.”
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The Sparks mentioned the workforce at all times works to foster a respectful surroundings for its athletes and pointed to the emphasis it locations on participant security.
“To clarify, as always for our practice squad tryouts, no Sparks players will participate or be in attendance,” the workforce mentioned in a press release. “The use of male practice players is a well-established practice in both the WNBA and women’s college basketball, and the Sparks have utilized this approach since the league’s inception in 1997.
“Moreover, any gamers chosen for the apply squad will endure a radical background verify course of to make sure the protection and well-being of our athletes.”
Brink was the second overall pick in last year’s WNBA Draft. She suffered a season-ending ACL injury in June. She averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds over 15 games during her rookie season.
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