Cameron Brink injured as Sparks fall to the Sun

UNCASVILLE, Conn. —  DeWanna Bonner scored 16 points, Alyssa Thomas had 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and the Connecticut Sun beat the short-handed Sparks 79-70 on Tuesday night for their 10th straight victory in the series.

The game was marred by an apparent knee injury to Sparks rookie Cameron Brink. Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA draft, fell awkwardly on a drive to the basket in the first quarter and did not return. Once over to the sidelines, Brink hobbled toward the locker room before a pair of Sparks personnel lifted her off her feet and carried her.

“Cam has a knee injury and will be evaluated tomorrow,” Sparks coach Curt Miller said.

Connecticut (13-1) is off to its best 14-game start in franchise history. The Sun haven’t lost to the Sparks since July 30, 2020.

All five Sun starters scored in double figures. Tyasha Harris had 14 points, Brionna Jones added 13 and DiJonai Carrington 12.

Aari McDonald led the Sparks (4-11) with 14 points and seven assists. Li Yueru added 11 points off the bench and Rickea Jackson scored 10.

Connecticut led 39-28 at halftime as both teams shot at least 50% from the field. The Sparks fell behind by turning the ball over 14 times in the first half.

The Sun closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run for a 15-point lead and cruised in the fourth. The Sparks finished with 22 turnovers.