The LA Sparks insist any male players they bring in to practice with the team will be subject to an extensive background check beforehand – after star player Cameron Brink expressed her concern over the controversial plan.
Brink admitted earlier this week that she is uncomfortable with the prospect of men putting the Sparks’ female talent through their paces, after the WNBA franchise announced on March 9 that they are holding tryouts for new male practice players.
‘I guess my confession is I’m really icked out by the potential new practice players,’ the 23-year-old small forward said to Sydel Curry-Lee on her Straight to Cam podcast.
Brink went on to admit her hope that ‘preferably they’re gay,’ before claiming the presence of new players would affect her effort in practice.
‘Who are we trusting coming into this gym?’ she added. ‘I’m not boxing anyone out. Lynne [Roberts], our new coach, is gonna be screaming at me for not rebounding. But I’m not boxing out anyone.’
Though despite Brink’s worries, the Sparks are adamant that any potential male recruits will be thoroughly vetted before they make it into practice.
The LA Sparks insist any male practice players they bring in will be thoroughly vetted
Star player Cameron Brink said she was ‘icked out’ by the prospect of practicing with men
‘The Los Angeles Sparks are committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all our players and want to emphasize that player safety remains our top priority,’ the team said in a statement given to TMZ Sports.
‘Additionally, any players selected for the practice squad will undergo a thorough background check process to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes,’ the team said.
A Sparks spokesperson also said that the team has been using male practice players since their inception in 1997, while other WNBA rivals routinely train with men.
The announcement that LA are holding tryouts for male players was met with a number of inappropriate comments online – which led to Brink’s concerns about sharing a gym with them.
Curry-Lee, the sister of Golden State Warriors star Stephen and Charlotte Hornets guard Seth, suggested new male players ‘need to go through heavy HR training.’
‘It’s basically just a flyer, it’s like me, Dearica [Hamby], Rickea [Jackson], and Kelsey [Plum], and it’s like “male practice players wanted,” Brink continued, as she explained the post to her co-host.
‘And all the comments are like “Let Cameron Brink back me down”, or something about Rickea or something about Kelsey.’
Brink has proved popular with male fans since the Sparks selected her with the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s WNBA Draft.
Brink’s rookie season ended when she tore her ACL on June 18 against the Connecticut Sun
The 23-year-old had made a promising start to her pro career before picking up the injury
The ex-Stanford player has also modeled for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, with the issue featuring her set to be released in May.
Brink’s season was cut short after just 15 games last season when she suffered a torn ACL in June.
Then a rookie, she made a promising start to her pro career, finishing her shortened season with averages 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per night.
With the Sparks beginning their season on May 16, it’s unclear if Brink will be ready for the season opener.
