IT was the fourth quarter of a tense and close-up game in Los Angeles between Los Angeles and Indiana fever. The game has a serious playoff impact on both teams, so each bucket feels energetic and lags behind the wires. Cameron Brink, a 6-foot-4-inch sophomore spark center with a distinct Rapunzel-like blonde braid, has already fouled the game, but you won’t know that from her passion for the bench. No one will applaud and cheer for his teammates harder.
According to everyone I talked to the team in the last game of the last game of the playoffs in recent weeks, this is the basis for whom – Spark in Fight against Seattle Storm Last position. Edge is one of the smartest young stars in W, earning a series of recognitions (including a high-profile deal with New Balance, Make her the first female basketball player On their talent lineup), but margins are far from myopia, with star myopia stereotypes.
“One thing I noticed about her, she really intended to include it,” teammate Azurá Stevens told me. “I think it’s all her infamous traits.” I asked, is it unusual for someone with profiles of marginal people? “I think sometimes, when people have a certain status, they don’t always think of everyone. So, I think she has the identity she has and want everyone to feel included, fans, people in general, I think it’s really cool.”
Brink, a highly praised recruit from Stanford, finished second in the WNBA Draft last year, had a promising start to her rookie season, starting the first 15 games of the Spark. But the popularity starts very short When she tore ACL in mid-June In 2024, the court was absent for 13 months. Of course, compulsive interruption is a curse, but it is also a blessing. It provides moments of introspection for the 23-year-old and has time to explore some of her non-basketball interests.
“I definitely just explored many areas of my life, and it made me really realize the limited basketball in the grand scheme of plans,” Brink told me in Los Angeles. “It’s actually something I can only do for 15 years at most. So it’s really… I’m honestly on a journey of this spirit, figuring out, you know, I’m outside basketball.”
These other interests, she said, can be traced back to childhood. “I see myself as an artist, or a creative person,” Brink told me about her youthful desire, a career before basketball. “I grew up in a loving, free family, so they didn’t force me into anything. I love pottery, pastels, all of that stuff. My parents always sent me to art camps and I’ll definitely try out various mediums; I’m just super, super creative.”
In addition to the preference for visual arts (it has been recently shown as Interest in fashion), Brink’s creative streak was expressed behind the microphone this year Direct to the cam, She co-hosts a podcast with her God sister Sydel Curry (sisters of NBA players Stephen and Seth Curry). It was an experience she loved, but she was taking a break to change her focus. What’s the point? Basketball, and figuring out how to make a real impact in the world, is becoming increasingly important for the Oregonians.
“I actually took a break from the podcast, which was one of the best experiences of my life,” she told me. “It was just time consuming and I felt like I just wanted to pour all my energy into basketball. I think, in the future, I’m going to be, [would] Like having a platform to talk about things [again]. But I think I want to move towards helping marginalized groups and maybe work more on fashion [for example] On shoes suitable for people who are not in normal size range or clothing. I think I’m still really trying to figure out my niche. I love doing podcasts, I just feel like I don’t need that kind of platform right now. I can try to do things and work behind the scenes and really focus on things on the field, and the rest can flow from there. ”
During a year of big issues and meaningful introspection, Brink succeeded in “keeping the main thing,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts told me. I asked her what advice (if any) was to recover from such a serious injury because of such a high-profile young athlete. “I just told her to try to pull some air out of the tires, rather than putting too much pressure on it,” she said. “It’s hard to come back from 13 months and not come back like a bike. It’ll take a moment.” She told me that Roberts impressed me with the focus and intensity of Brink’s bounce back, and she has the ability to divide and adjust the noise. “She wants to be great. I think she can do more and she can make a lot of money, but she wants to be great in basketball.”
Even if you come from a basketball family, “good at basketball”, the pursuit is not necessarily in the edge card Who said in a recent interview“I tried to postpone the basketball of love as long as possible, but inevitably fell down.” But absence does make the heart stronger, and her time can only crystallize her love and passion for the sport. Brink tells me about her time off the court and the self-discovery and breadth that comes with it. “But I think I really miss basketball. I’m back, just a big gun, and missed a lot.”
Off the court, Brink has been a voice advocate for mental health. She has talked about her struggle with the podcast P Podcast P of Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George – she said she said the show’s production company Wave Sports was approaching her with the idea of hosting her own podcast, which became straight into CAM.
I asked her if she intends to continue advocating with the newly discovered media platform or if she has incorporated other avenues. “I don’t know, I think it’s not just about talking about it, [I want to be] Actually doing something to help promote some change, I don’t know what it is now, I’m easy to say, but I’m a little tired of being in front of the camera but not actually trying to try Do She said. It’s hard, I really want to spend the rest of the season, but after this season I’m so happy to continue traveling to figure out what really fueled me and what made me feel as satisfied as I was playing basketball. ”
The answer is to reveal the self-discovery Odyssey she has experienced over the past year and a half, and the edge of a person: she is both a very smart and passionate woman, ambitious, within reach of the world, and there is a 23-year-old who she is still who she is and learns this on the spot.
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
