Discourse about the 2024 draft class went off the rails after the WNBA opened its 30th season last weekend. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from that year, and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, are always subject of debate.
But people have lost their minds over Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink.
The Sparks drafted Brink second overall out of Stanford, where she was a multi-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. Through her first 15 games as a rookie, Brink looked like she was about to be a defensive force for years to come, as she averaged 2.3 blocks out of the gate. But she tore her ACL in July 2024. While recovering, she missed 50 games over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
After Brink only played eight minutes off the bench in the Sparks’ season-opening blowout loss to the Las Vegas Aces last Sunday, some corners of WNBA Twitter were ready to label Brink a bust. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts awkwardly spoke about Brink’s usage in her postgame presser.
“I mean, we need Cam to produce,” Roberts said after a loaded pause. “We need Cam to bring that defensive energy. We have so much confidence and belief in her. She’s gotta get out on the floor with some confidence and do what she’s capable of doing. But we’re gonna need her.”
On Wednesday night, Brink did what she does best.
The Sparks hosted the Fever at Crypto.com Arena, and while Brink still came off the bench, she played more in the first half than she did in the season opener.
Late in the first quarter, Clark drove to the hoop and floated a layup. Brink elevated and emphatically swatted the ball away as if she were spiking a volleyball. Fired up, Brink yelled, “Get that [expletive] [expletive] outta here!”
That sequence is the recipe for Brink to solidify her role in the Sparks’ rotation.
The Sparks brought 10-time All-Star forward Nneka Ogwumike, who won the 2016 MVP and 2016 WNBA Finals with the Sparks, back home to Los Angeles in free agency. Ogwumike is as established as a player can be in the WNBA, so Brink likely would have been relegated to the bench upon her arrival even if the ACL tear never happened.
That doesn’t make her a bust. In fact, you could argue Brink learning under Ogwumike’s wing is a more advantageous position for her development.
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