Getty Image / Emilee Chinn
Cam Brink was one of the brightest stars of a headline rookie class in the WNBA as she got her professional career underway with the Los Angeles Sparks. But, she’s suffered a huge setback in terms of an injury that’s going to not only keep her out for the rest of the WNBA season but also out of the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she was set to be a member of Team USA’s 3v3 team.
Now that there is a spot open on the 3v3 team, it could be filled by Indiana Fever rookie guard and women’s basketball sensation, Caitlin Clark. Clark was controversially left off of the Team USA Women’s Basketball roster last month.
First off, Cam Brink sadly has suffered a torn ACL, a huge setback for a player that has truly unlimited upside as an already great rim protector and burgeoning offensive player.
MEDICAL UPDATE: Cameron Brink suffered a left torn ACL in Tuesday's game vs. Connecticut Sun.
Additional details will be provided at a later date.
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) June 19, 2024
She’s a key member of USA Basketball’s top 3v3 team, teaming up with TCU guard Hailey Van Lith, Atlanta Dream forward Rhyne Howard, and Valencia Basket Club forward Burdick
Now, there’s an opening on that team, as Cam Brink will be unable to play. Why not bring along Caitlin Clark as the team’s 4th member?
Caitlin Clark is clearly good enough to be on the team, as she was one of the final few cuts from the five-on-five roster. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer after a stellar four-year career at Iowa has been up-and-down so far in the WNBA. But, her game suits the 3v3 game perfectly.
International 3v3 basketball is played on a court that is a little less than the length of a half court of a standard court, and has a 12-second shot clock. Games are played to 21, counting by 2’s and 1’s, and the ball has to be taken back behind the three-point line on any change of possession. Game time is capped to ten minutes, so things happen fast. Here’s a little peak at what gameplay looks like.
That seems to fit Caitlin Clark perfectly. Giving such a creative offensive player that much space would only make her even more dangerous. Right now, one of her biggest struggles in the WNBA is that it’s taking her a bit of time to adjust to scoring against set defenses in the halfc-court at this level. That would not be an issue here.
The only real reason to keep her off the team would be that they want to replace Cam Brink’s 6-foot-5-inch size. But, Howard and Burdick are 6-foot-2, and Clark is 6-foot. They would be a smaller team with Clark, but her upside in the format may be too much to pass up.
And, not that it should matter at all in terms of who to select, but television ratings to watch Caitlin Clark play 3v3 basketball would be incredibly high! It would be one of the can’t-miss events of the Summer Olympics.