Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink has voiced her discomfort regarding the team’s recent search for male practice players.
The Sparks announced tryouts for men to join their practice squad via social media, prompting a wave of online reactions, many of which left Brink uneasy.
LA Sparks’ open practice controversy
The initiative, meant to bolster training sessions ahead of the new WNBA season, sparked controversy due to inappropriate comments from social media users.
Brink addressed the issue on her show, Straight to Cam, in a conversation with Sydel Curry-Lee.
She admitted that the response to the tryout announcement, particularly from some men online, made her uncomfortable.
The 22-year-old star expressed concern about opening up the opportunity to a general pool of male applicants rather than relying on university players, as had been customary.
“I guess my confession is I’m really icked out by the potential new practice players,” Brink said.
“It’s basically just like a flyer. It’s like me, Dearica [Hamby], Rickea [Jackson], and Kelsey [Plum]. And it’s like, male practice players wanted.”
Brink highlighted the unsettling nature of some comments on the Sparks’ post, which included suggestive and inappropriate remarks about her and her teammates.
“All the comments are like, ‘Let Cameron Brink back me down,’ or something about Rickea or something about Kelsey,” she continued.
“And I’m just like, preferably they’re gay. Who are we trusting coming into this gym?”
Brink also joked about how she might handle the situation during practice, emphasizing that she had no intention of engaging in physical drills with unfamiliar male players.
“I’m not boxing out anyone,” she said, adding that new Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts would likely be “screaming” at her for not rebounding.
The backlash over the Sparks’ approach to recruiting practice players reflects a broader conversation about the treatment of female athletes and their safety in professional environments.
Following the influx of applications, the Sparks announced that they had received an “overwhelming number” of submissions and subsequently closed the tryout process.
It remains unclear if the organization will address Brink’s concerns or revise its approach in the future.
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