Los Angeles Sparks Coach Lynne Roberts Defends Cameron Brink Against Early Slow Start Narratives

The Los Angeles Sparks missed the playoffs last season and built another super team for the 2026 season. Kelsey Plum took a pay cut to allow the franchise to add star power, which will improve the team’s chances in the 2026 season. Cameron Brink also returned to full fitness after playing in parts of the 2024 and 2025 seasons, as well as in the Unrivaled league.

But the results are still not coming. They lost both their opening games, with the competitors building an early lead in the season. Amid this, there have been discussions about the former Stanford star, who has yet to make a major contribution and live up to the hype around her.

Coach Lynne Roberts feels otherwise, though, as she opened up on the criticism.

Lynne Roberts Claps Back At Cameron Brink’s Doubters

The three-time champions are once again struggling to take control of the season with back-to-back losses and offensive lapses at times on the floor. While there had been questions over output from the second overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft. But the coach sees no issue with it and, in a recent press conference, cleared the view.

“She didn’t have a slow start. We’ve played 2 games and she had a great game today. The narrative of ‘What’s going on with Cam?’ Nothing. She’s doing great. We gotta stop the narrative,” Roberts said.

After Cameron Brink answered a question last night, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts backed her up: “She didn’t have a slow start. We’ve played 2 games and she had a great game today. The narrative of ‘What’s going on with Cam?’ Nothing. She’s doing great. We gotta stop the narrative.” pic.twitter.com/4ODO1iJytq

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) May 14, 2026

---

In two games, the 6-foot- 4 forward averages 5.5 points, four rebounds, and two blocks per game in just under 14 minutes of gameplay. While the forward lineup at the Sparks is already stacked, the player is taking a supportive role at the moment and doing well in the available gametime.

During the offseason, when she was playing in the Unrivaled league, she received support from her teammate, Rae Burrell, who praised Brink for her tough plays and supportive bond. As for the star, she is not only looking to get back to 100% physically but also to focus on her mental health to be an impactful player for the team.

Cameron Brink Prioritizes Mental Health Ahead Of WNBA 2026

The 24-year-old made a miraculous return from the season-ending injury and played her first game late in the 2025 season. While Caitlin Clark spoke about her struggles with the mental hurdles, after spending eight months away from the court, the forward was 13 months away from the action, and also pointed out the mental health issue.

“As women, we’re taught to be super, super hard on ourselves. The idea of, ‘I’m going to speak to myself nicely today’ sounds easy until you actually try to embody it. But once you do, it’s life changing. Leading up to my first game back, I worked on emphasizing that I’m only going to speak to myself kindly and reframe things in a positive way,” Brink mentioned in the interview.

Cameron Brink wants to focus on Mental Healthhttps://t.co/plStryPVBe

— Debmallya Chakraborty (@DebmallyaC93340) May 11, 2026

While the former NCAA Champion showed her capabilities at the college level and during her time in the league, too, there should be no worry about her ‘slow start’.