The Los Angeles Sparks are set to get a major piece back in the lineup with the injury return of Cameron Brink as the team continues through a four-game road trip. Brink has been sidelined for the past eight games since suffering an ankle injury back on June 15 during the Sparks’ loss to the Golden State Valkyries.

But with three more games left on the current road trip, the Sparks will have their best defensive player back on the court as they try and mount a surge in the league standings with the All-Star break approaching. As per head coach Lynne Roberts, Brink is going to be on a minutes restriction for the time being.

“She’s been working. Her ankle sprain was really bad and she came back. She’s worked her a** off to get where she is right now. So she’s thrilled and obviously so are we,” Roberts said prior to the Sparks’ game against the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday. “She hasn’t played in a few weeks so I’m sure there is going to be some nerves and rust a little bit, and that’s to be expected. And I’m fine with that … it’s rebound presence, it’s rim protection, there’s no one like her in the league in that regard.

“So just play to her strengths. Not try to do too much. Again, she’s on a minutes restriction but it will be great to have her as an option coming in.”

Before the injury, Cameron Brink had appeared in 14 games, including one start, at a little over 17 minutes per game. She was averaging a career-best 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocked shots with splits of 53.8 percent shooting from the field, 34.4 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 76.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Her blocks per game were good enough for top five in the league when she was healthy, and she’s been the Sparks’ interior anchor on that end of the court. Brink’s return comes as the Sparks are trying to get back in the win column in the immediacy, and make a push in the playoff race overall.

The team is still waiting on the return of All-Star guard Kelsey Plum, who likely won’t be back until after the All-Star break. But once the team is healthy, Roberts is confident the Sparks can make a major surge over the final months of the regular season, similar to how they did last year.

“With KP coming back at some point, we don’t have a target date circled, we’re getting near to having a date set, or a target,” Roberts continued. “My hope is that when we start adding these key guys back, arguably our best offensive player and our best defensive player, the rest of the group has kind of found their rhythm and stride, we can make a push here in August and September.”

The Los Angeles Sparks are set to get a major piece back in the lineup with the injury return of Cameron Brink as the team continues through a four-game road trip. Brink has been sidelined for the past eight games since suffering an ankle injury back on June 15 during the Sparks’ loss to the Golden State Valkyries.