On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Sparks announced that guard Lexie Brown will be out for the remainder of the 2023 season with a non-COVID illness. Brown was in the starting lineup for the first nine games of the season for Los Angeles before missing ten games in June and July. In late July, she played three more games before missing the remainder, ultimately announcing that she would not suit up again this season, focusing instead on rest and recovery.
In her 12 games this season, Brown averaged 12.4 points in 30.3 minutes per game, shooting an impressive 48.6% from the floor and 41.5% from deep on 5.4 3-point attempts per game. All of these numbers were career highs, and she was widely considered a possible selection for the WNBA All-Star Game before she was sidelined with illness.
In a July 19 TikTok, Brown shared, “For the last few weeks, I’ve been dealing with some pretty serious health issues,” but that she was “on the mend, on the up and up, and feeling a lot better.” She mentioned her frustration in having been out of the weight room for almost two months. On Aug. 10, she shared with her followers that she had been “cleared” to do light workouts.
In Brown’s most recent TikTok video on Aug. 23, she shared a longer update with her followers. “Every day is a step in the right direction, and I don’t know if you know this, but I’m not injured,” Brown said. “I’ve been in and out of the hospital for months now, and it’s just been a very mentally draining process. But I’m really doing my best to keep improving, staying positive, surrounding myself with my people with love, and just getting back to the healthiest and happiest version of myself, however long that takes. But I’m definitely headed in the right direction.”
Brown has repeatedly requested privacy around additional circumstances of her illness.
Lexie Brown’s impressive performance this season is unfortunately cut short due to illness. Her career-high stats show her potential and the impact she had on the court.