Getty Image / Harry How
Los Angeles Sparks rookie center Cameron Brink is part of a sparkling rookie class that could be the face of the WNBA for years to come. She’s also a fashion icon known for her great fits prior to games.
The 6-foot-5-inch defensive wizard out of Stanford has naturally drawn attention for her looks to go along with the talent level that made her the second-overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. But, as more fans are watching the WNBA than ever before, she cautioned fans to support all players regardless of looks.
Brink spoke about this during a recent interview with Uproxx. Here is what she had to say.
Finish this sentence: I will not rest until…
I will not rest until the W is even more iconic than it is now.
What part do you want to play in that?
I could go way deeper into this, but I would just say growing the fan base to support all types of players. I will acknowledge there’s a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That’s not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine. Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look. I know I can feed into that because I like to dress femininely, but that’s just me. I want everyone to be accepted — not just paid attention to because of how they look.
Of course, the context is that the league does have sizable African-American and LGBTQ representation among the players.
Cameron Brink believes that players shouldn’t just be supported due to their looks, race, or marketability. Outside of the obvious moral implications, she makes a good point. If you’re only looking for those things in high-level women’s sports, you’re missing the point of sports altogether.
Brink has the makings of a superstar early in her WNBA career. Through eight games, she’s averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in just 21 minutes a game. Her shooting percentages are very good, as well. She’s slashing 47/37/81. That three-point number is really encouraging. If she can consistently knock down threes at her size and defensive ability, you’ve got an incredibly valuable player. Her shooting stroke looks great.
ANOTHER ONE.
Cameron Brink hits her 5th 3PT shot of the season. For reference Brink made 53 threes in her Stanford career.
Brink has mentioned the increase in spacing being nice, seems to be providing room for the three ball. #WNBA https://t.co/bnVJH6Rr0m pic.twitter.com/l09Ibh35Z4
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) May 27, 2024
Recently, she claimed she would like to model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Right now, much of the talk around the league is focused on things that have very little to do with basketball. Ultimately, I think Cameron Brink is trying to get the conversation focused on the really good hoops played in the league.