PORTLAND, Ore. — Cameron Brink, the defensive standout from Stanford who starred at two high schools in Beaverton, was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA draft on Monday night.
Brink was the second player selected after the Indiana Fever drafted Caitlin Clark, the superstar guard from Iowa, with the first pick.
After she was drafted, an emotional Brink spoke to ESPN's Holly Rowe.
"We work so hard for this. I have to shout out all my girls," she said, pointing to the other draft prospects there at the draft in New York. "I'm so proud of all of us. ... I fall in love with the game even more being here in New York with the girls. I'm so looking forward to a new challenge and ready to get to work."
In her senior season at Stanford, the 6-foot-4 Brink led the Cardinal to the Sweet 16. She averaged 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks, which led the nation. Brink ranks 14th all-time with 424 career blocks. She was named Naismith Defensive National Player of the Year as a senior.
Brink led Stanford to a national championship as a freshman in 2021. With Brink manning the post, the Cardinal made it to the Final Four in 2022, the second round in 2023 and the Sweet 16 this season.
Stanford lost to NC State in the Sweet 16 at Moda Center in Portland in front of a hometown crowd for Brink. She said it was an honor to play in front of family and friends back home.
"I think to play my last potential game in front of family in Portland at home is bittersweet," she said the day before the Sweet 16 matchup. "But it's really wonderful. I'm just really happy to be here. I just have a great sense of peace, honestly, being here."
Brink signed an endorsement deal with New Balance in 2023, becoming the first women’s basketball athlete to sign with the brand.
She joins a Sparks club that finished 17-23 last season and finished fourth in the Western Conference, one game out of the eighth playoff spot. The Sparks, who have won three WNBA titles, have missed the playoffs the past three seasons.
The Sparks lost starting power forward Nneka Ogwumike this offseason when she signed with the Seattle Storm. Ogwumike was a force, averaging 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds last season, and was named to the All-WNBA second team. The team also traded away another of its top players, point guard Jordin Canada, and appears to be rebuilding.
But with two picks in the first round (No. 2 and No. 4) in Monday’s WNBA draft, the Sparks will be getting an infusion of young talent, led by Brinks, who will don the iconic purple and gold in Los Angeles.
The Sparks selected Tennessee 6-2 guard Rickea Jackson with the fourth pick.
The 2024 WNBA season tips off May 14. The Sparks play their first game May 15 against the Atlanta Dream.
Beaverton prep star
As a freshman and sophomore, Brink helped lead Southridge High School to consecutive state championships. She was named Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year her sophomore and junior seasons.
She transferred to Mountainside High School her senior season, when she was named to the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic rosters.
The No. 3 ranked high school player in the country by ESPN, Brink chose Stanford over Oregon and UConn. Brink had been on Stanford’s radar for years; legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer offered her a scholarship when she was in eighth grade.
Connection with Curry
NBA superstar Stephen Curry is Brink’s godbrother. Her mother and Curry’s mother, Sonya Curry, were roommates at Virginia Tech. Sonya Curry is Brink’s godmother. Brink often spent summers with the Curry family.
"I remember playing in their backyard, in their pool, playing basketball," she told KGW in 2018.
On Monday night, Sonya Curry was in New York with the Brink family to support her godchild. Brink shouted her out during her post-selection interview with Rowe.
Brink is also godsiblings with the younger Curry brother, Seth, who is also an NBA player. Brink shared a funny story before the draft about her recent interaction with the Curry brothers.
"Right before I came here, I face-timed Steph with Sonya, my godmother, and my mom, and he was saying all these encouraging words and laughing with me. And then we face-timed Seth and he hangs up immediately,” she said, laughing. “I love Seth, that's just how he is. I love him so much, both of them. They've both been such great sounding boards for me. They mean the world to me."