Cameron Brink voices concerns over male practice player tryouts amid sexist comments

In the United States, during March 2025, the Los Angeles Sparks women’s basketball team announced they would be holding tryouts for male practice players. This initiative aimed to diversify their training by allowing male athletes to participate and challenge the Sparks players, which included notable talent like Cameron Brink and Kelsey Plum. However, the announcement led to a flood of inappropriate and sexist comments directed at the female players on social media, which Brink addressed on her podcast. She voiced her unease regarding the sexualized remarks and was particularly concerned about the motivations of prospective male players. Brink openly stated her preference for the male practice players to be gay, indicating that such a situation might pose fewer distractions during training sessions. As the team had previously only used college players from the University of Southern California, the decision to broaden their search raised questions about the dynamics that would unfold on the court. Brink expressed worry that these distractions could ultimately affect the Sparks’ performance during practice. The negativity surrounding the tryouts highlighted a broader issue of sexism in sports, wherein female athletes are often subjected to objectifying comments, especially in a competitive environment that is still predominantly male. Brink's popularity and influence suggest that the Sparks management may heed her concerns as the tryouts are set to begin shortly. As the WNBA season approaches, the Sparks are attempting to strengthen their team, currently positioned sixth in the Western Conference with 8 wins and 32 losses, following Brink's successful collegiate career where she won an NCAA championship with Stanford University.