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A star is defined as a fixed luminous point in the night sky; it is a large, remote, incandescent body like the sun. Now, that’s the noun definition of the word, which is not typically used in the context of sports. However, when I see Cameron Brink tower over her opponents, gliding around from the perimeter to the rim and protecting the basket from any intruders, the definition feels fitting.
Although her WNBA career is only three games old, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Los Angeles Sparks already has faced the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, sealed a victory with a last-possession rejection versus the Washington Mystics and taken a seat on the Sparks’ throne as the new queen of Los Angeles basketball.
The hype of a No. 2 draft pick coming in and ushering in a new era for a historic franchise can lead to unrealistic expectations and an inability to reach a standard others set for you. Still, so far, Brink has been as good as advertised, with room to get better.
Brink, an elite defender
In college, Brink was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, so it was clear defense would be her strong suit. Even so, the performance she is giving for the Sparks is jaw-dropping.
Already, she is the focal point of the defense. Everything is funneled to her and she is ready to contest when opponents drive to the basket.
Teams have tested her early and often, but quickly have realized that scoring on Brink will not be easy. She registered her first block during the first 60 seconds of the game against both the Aces and Mystics. She is currently tied for the league lead in blocks per game, averaging 3.7.
Brink, a work in progress offensively
While Brink’s defense has been red-hot, her offense has been lukewarm.
She’s shooting 46.7 percent from the field, but that’s off of only 15 field goal attempts. Five other players are shooting more, including fellow rookie Rickea Jackson, who is playing fewer minutes and coming off the bench.
So, when it comes to getting Brink more involved in the offense, it’s a combination of the team needing to look for her and Brink needing to be more aggressive. For all bigs, this is always a song and dance, a constant struggle to get the ball fed to them by their guards and wings. It’s the reason that—no matter how great you are as a post player—you need an equally talented guard to work in tandem with. The ball handlers have to look for those players in the paint and feed them the ball when they get positioning in the block, pop out to the perimeter or flash to the elbow.
The chemistry between Brink and her teammates isn’t quite there yet, but good things take time, and with 37 games to go, patience is needed in this department.
When she does get the ball, Brink struggles the further she is from the paint. This especially was true against the Aces, where prominent players like A’ja Wilson and Kiah Stokes were able to push her around more. Brink finished the game 1-for-7 from the field and often ended possessions falling to the ground, unable to finish through the contact or draw the foul call. Now, the Aces are the best team in the league, and maybe in WNBA history, but it’s still an area that needs improvement.
Brink, a foul magnet
Given her aggression as a defender, Brink is notorious for drawing fouls. It was an issue in college, and that has translated to the WNBA. She’s averaging four fouls a game, the most on the team.
Brink discussed dealing with her early season foul troubles right before the matchup against the Mystics. “I think just sticking with it, not being too hard on myself,” Brink said. “Every rookie has an adjustment period; every rookie gets rookie calls, so just playing through it.”
It’s a small sample size, but she has reduced her fouls in every game. Her tenacity on defense has not dwindled one iota, regardless of how fair or unfair the whistle has been. Every minute she’s on the floor, she keeps that same energy and lets any frustration roll off her like water off a duck’s back.
Brink, the ready-made star
There’s more to being a star in Los Angeles than just your performance. You have to be that person off the court as well. You want to be a fabric of the culture and be seen where the people are. That means appearing on television, doing radio hits and promoting the franchise at every opportunity.
In just a few month, Brink has done that stupendously. She’s appeared on SportsCenter, participated in the WNBA SKIMS rollout, guested on Paul George’s podcast and threw out the opening pitch at Dodger Stadium, which is as LA as it gets.
These things may not be the main thing, but they matter—especially for a team that has fallen out of contention over the past half decade and has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. Even as I type this, the Sparks have a losing record of 1-2 and again find themselves at the bottom of the league.
Still, the night is darkest just before the dawn, and with a new shining star, it appears that Los Angeles is on the Brink of a new, better day.