The 24-year-old forward, a former No. 2 overall draft pick now playing only 17 minutes a game as a reserve, looks to improve her game while decreasing fouls.
Sparks forward Cameron Brink, driving against Fever guard Lexie Hull during a game last month, is averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17 minutes a game as a reserve.refs.
Not from opponents with more to play for than ever. Certainly not from the game itself; basketball moves fast, and a bummer can become a bust in a blink. But Brink, 24, is not on the brink of bust territory, no. Block that thought. Technically, it’s Year 3, but after a torn ACL derailed her as a rookie two summers ago, it’s practically like Year 2 for the former Stanford star.
And by design, the WNBA is testing her confidence, her decision-making and her patience as she tries to reestablish herself as one of the WNBA’s best young players. The recognizable 6-foot-4 forward — she’s the long-blond-haired hooper in the New Balance ads — was the No. 2 overall pick in 2024.
Nneka Ogwumike had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and the Sparks defeated the Seattle Storm 92-85 on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.for the Sparks, who are a modest 6-6 after wins this week over the expansion Portland Fire and the struggling Seattle Storm. Against the Fire, Brink scored two points and picked up four fouls in nine minutes.
Then she went to Seattle and had 15 points in 18 minutes but was pulled with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter after getting her third, fourth and fifth fouls in 86 seconds. They’re silly fouls and they’re phantom calls. Egregious and ticky-tack.
Costly and common. A real fouled-up buffet. She sets screens that get scrutinized as if by the most vigilant TSA agent. And sometimes, yes, she’s doing the accidental tripping.
Other times, the officials are. Her reputation precedes her, so everyone gets a superstar’s whistle when being defended by Brink. Opponents bake it into their game plans. All that fouling is hindering Brink’s development because it’s robbing her of important in-game reps — which she needs, foremost, to figure out how to stop fouling.
, Brink’s coach at Stanford, “every young player always has a lot of work to do. And I saw her make a three. I see her block shots. She rebounds, she can handle the ball, she’s unselfish, she’s a terrific talent.
But there’s always things players need to work on. ”“She has to be disciplined,” VanDerveer said.
“And if you want something so badly, if you want to be an All-Star someday or make the Olympic team, you’ve got to be dependable … and I think anyone can change, if it’s behavior they recognize is not in their best interests or not in their team’s best interests. It’s hard, but it’s something I think people can do.
And, VanDerveer added, “I’m really so excited that Nneka is there, because she will give her such great guidance and mentorship. ”getting that from Ogwumike — also a former Stanford star, the Sparks legend returned to L.A. this season after two seasons in Seattle — and her other teammates.
“I just do my best to lead by example,” Ogwumike, 35, said. “But then also let know that she’s very capable, that she’s more than capable, which is exactly why she’s here with us and it’s exactly why we need her on this team. ”But how long will Brink get grace from the Sparks in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business of basketball?
The foul trouble tells us why a win-now team wouldn’t trust her, why the Sparks would give meaningful minutes to two veteran post players ahead of her. Why they wouldn’t prioritize Brink’s development alongside winning as they strive to snap a previously unthinkable five-year playoff drought. And what about fans? How patient will you all be with a player who was drafted immediately after Caitlin Clark and five spots in front of Angel Reese?
Or, preferably, whether you remember Brink’s first 15 WNBA games. All starts, all signs pointing to stardom. She showed up in 2024 throwing lavish block parties. Her 2.3 blocks per game were message-sending spikes, like what Lisa Leslie used to enthrall Sparks crowds with.
From the jump, she had guys coming to games at Crypto.com Arena wearing her No. 22 jersey and little girls arriving in groups with No. 22 painted on their cheeks and “I love Cam Brink” signs in hand. And then the torn ACL cost her 25 games of her rookie season and another 25 last season, plus her spot on the United States’ Olympic 3x3 women’s basketball team in Paris in 2024. She had to start over.
Lost a lot of ground. But you see that masked woman stuck on the Sparks’ bench for all but 17 minutes per game? You can’t miss her. She’s looking uncomfortable in protective facial gear that either hinders her breathing or her peripheral vision, her only options to protect the torn septum she suffered in a victory over the Las Vegas Aces last month.
She’s the one with the 6-8 wingspan who’s averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 52.1% from the field in her limited minutes. She’s still Cameron Brink. Between fouls, she’s fluid and fast and covers more of the court than almost anyone in the WNBA, able to leap from defending guards to centers in a single bound.
“It’s just looking at every day as a new opportunity to learn and grow and not getting too bogged down when things don’t go exactly as you planned,” Brink told me. “Because more times than not, things are not going to go how you want them to. And that’s life. So I just want to be able to put my best effort out there every single night.
Mirjam Swanson is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she worked for the Southern California News Group, as a sports columnist and an NBA and WNBA beat writer. A Southern California native, she earned the distinction of a top 10 APSE honor for columns in 2023. At prior stops, she covered golf, action sports, city government, education and the occasional unexpected bear visit.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New York Knicks Stage Record Comeback, Move to Brink of ChampionshipThe New York Knicks made a historic comeback from 29 points down, beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. OG Anunoby's late tip-in sealed the comeback, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead and three chances to win the title.
Read more »
USMNT fans hope team can follow Knicks’ footsteps and overcome being World Cup long shotsThe Knicks have stunned the sports world, on the brink of an upset championship.
Read more »
Pushed to brink, Vegas may have lost William Karlsson for the Stanley Cup FinalThe Vegas Golden Knights lost a very important part of their run to the Stanley Cup Final and are now on the verge of getting eliminated by Carolina
Read more »
Elon Musk on brink of becoming world’s first trillionaire as SpaceX IPO launchesElon Musk’s SpaceX aims for a record $75B IPO, set to crown him the world’s first trillionaire despite $8.7B in losses.
Read more »