From Stanford all the way to the Los Angeles Sparks, Cameron Brink credits the Curry family for training her and getting her ready for the WNBA. But, it was not Stephen Curry or Dell Curry who were the most influential to her growing up. It was not even any of the basketball players in their small circle. Instead, someone who used to be an insanely talented athlete at Virginia Tech who played volleyball and was a beast on the track took the crown of the most influential person. Who could that be? It's none other than Sonya Curry.

Cameron Brink was not taught her shot mechanics or on-ball movement by Sonya Curry. Instead, the mother of Stephen Curry did something arguably more important. It was to urge her out of bed and quite literally start her basketball career. The star out of the Sparks system unveiled the story behind this, via the Podcast P Show with Paul George presented by Wave Sports+ and Entertainment.

“I grew up with the Curry’s because my mom was roommates with Sonya Curry, my godmother. Of course, I always grew up around basketball. I wanted to be different, I wanted to be artistic, but then I was like maybe volleyball… Then, I started playing basketball because one of the first camps I went to was Dell Curry's boys' camp. I'm looking at my mom I'm like, ‘You started it for me.' But, it was really Sonya forcing me to go,” Cameron Brink said about Sonya Curry's role in getting her to this point in her career.

Eventually, Sonya Curry did not have to keep forcing her to attend camp anymore. She found her own style of play while growing up alongside Seth Curry and Stephen Curry. Some help from Dell Curry to polish up her game was also very helpful. But, it might have been her inner competitor that kept her going until she got to Stanford and then the Sparks.

“I'm so competitive. I love mixing it up. So, I fell in love with basketball even though I didn’t want to,” she concluded.

The Sparks rookie sensation's campaign so far

May 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle (14) is guarded by Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Brink's stay in the WNBA has only spanned four games so far but she is showing great promise. The Sparks' coaching staff is allowing her to see a little bit above 25 minutes of playing time. She is trying to make the most out of it by knocking down her shots with a 50% clip from all three levels of scoring to notch 8.3 points per game.

Her impact in the Sparks system far exceeds just scoring and setting up the offense inside. She is an all-around star in the making. Other defenders under the rim find it hard to get boards around Brink because her good positioning leads to 6.8 rebounds on a nightly basis. Her on-ball defense is also impeccable as she gives the Sparks 1.5 steals alongside 3.3 blocks per contest.

Her WNBA career is only getting started. From what she showed at Stanford, this career will only skyrocket from here on out.