If there's one thing to know about Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink, it's not that she's close to Golden State Warriors superstar point guard and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry or that her parents both worked at Nike; it's that she can play a hell of a defense on the court.
Brink reminded everyone of that Tuesday night when her defensive presence saved the day for the Sparks, who finally scored their first win of the 2024 WNBA season by taking down the Washington Mystics at home to the tune of a 70-68 score.
With Los Angeles up by just two points and the clock winding down to its last seconds in the fourth quarter, Brink stepped up and rejected not one but two close attempts at the rim by Washington center Shakira Austin.
Brink scored just four points against the Mystics but was arguably the most valuable player in the game for Los Angeles. While she only shot 2/2 from the field, Brink grabbed eight rebounds, dished out four assists, and swatted away a total of four blocks. Her presence alone altered a lot of decisions by the Mystics on offfense. It did not show on basic boxscores, but Brink's immense impact on the contest was perhaps the single biggest reason why Los Angeles got away with a victory.
Despite her lowly offensive production in the 30 minutes she spent on the floor, Brink recorded the best plus/minus in the Mystics game with a plus-11. Brink's teammate, Dearica Hamby, had a monster double-double of 17 points and 18 rebounds but was an even zero on the plus-minus side.
It's not taking Brink a long time to establish herself as one of the best defensive players in the pros. In her WNBA debut, she had two blocks during a 92-81 home loss to the Atlanta Dream. In the following game, against the reigning and defending WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces no less, Brink shot just 1/7 from the field for three points but had eight rebounds and five blocks. Over her last two games, Brink amassed nine blocks. Also, the 22-year-old rookie from the Stanford Cardinal now has a total of 11 blocks to lead the team in that department.
Those who have been following Brink's career for a long time are certainly not surprised by the quality of defense she's brought to the WNBA. During her four-year collegiate career with Stanford women's basketball, Brink averaged 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks. She was a three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a one-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
Through three games in her nascent WNBA journey, Brink has seemingly proved already that her skills translate well in the pros. There will be struggles, of course, for Brink, but she should be fine overall based on what she's showed, thus far.
Fans go wild over Cameron Brink's defense in Sparks win vs Mystics
“CAM BRINK is coming for that DPOY🔥”
“Cameron Brink held her opponents to 35.1% FG in the paint. FOUR BLOCKS 🔥”
“she gone be the first rookie to get DPOY”
“THATS WHAT SHE DOES BABYYYYYYYYYYY”
“That's just good Ole fashion technique right there by the rook 🗣 Didn't swat and didn't lose composure 🔑”
“Game winning block? Nah she’s different. Caitlin WHO? #ROY”
“Can’t wait for that Cameron Brink all defensive selection in year 1”
“Another rookie. Another monumental block.😤😤”
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