Stanford alum Cameron Brink relishes return to Bay Area, her “second home”
SAN FRANCISCO – The spotlight found Cameron Brink on Saturday night, not exactly a rare occurrence for a 23-year-old with over a dozen endorsement deals, a podcast and one of the WNBA’s top-selling jerseys.
But under the blindingly bright glare of the Chase Center lights, the Los Angeles Sparks’ center received enthusiastic cheers from the Bay Area crowd when she made her first shot with 7:50 remaining in the second quarter.
Yes, Brink was suiting up for the opposing team. And yes, Brink is from Oregon, not Northern California.
But the 18,064 fans – which included her family friend and Warriors icon Steph Curry – in the sold-out arena appreciated her first game in San Francisco. It was a homecoming for the Stanford graduate who recently returned to the court after a year spent rehabbing an injured knee.
“I think wherever you go to college, you’re kind of from there too,” Brink said. “I mean, I spent four years here, and when we went out as a team, it was in San Francisco. So this is like my second home.”
Brink scored five points, grabbed two rebounds and had one block in her homecoming, a 72-59 Valkyries victory, the fourth and final regular season matchup between the California teams.
Her understated box score did not diminish the support she received from the fans. At least 100 fans waited for Brink in the stands well after the final buzzer, a contingent that included the Stanford women’s basketball team.
Brink became a national star with the program between 2020 and 2024, where she was an All-American and an integral part of the Cardinal’s 2021 National Championship-winning squad.
After being selected with the No. 2 selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, an ACL injury cut Brink’s rookie season short after just 15 games.
It took over a year of intensive rehab, but Brink finally returned to the court in late July.
“It’s been great,” Brink said. “I love what I do. It was really hard to be away from it.”
Since returning, Brink has been the WNBA’s most prolific shot-swatter. She had blocked 11 shots in four games despite playing an average of just 14.5 minutes a night.
Brink’s proficiency in the realm of rim-protection does not surprise the legendary woman who cached the towering center on The Farm.
In Tara VanDerveer’s eyes, Brink has every trait needed to be the best interior defender in the league.
“She’s 6-foot-5, or even 6-6 so she starts with good size,” the legendary Cardinal coach told the Bay Area News Group earlier this week. “But she’s very athletic. She’s fast, she’s quick, she’s springy, and I think the thing she does best is her timing. She’ll be a great shot-blocker in the pros, because those guards are not going to want to bring it in there.”
That defensive dominance has provided a tangible Spark to a team that appeared to be peaking as the playoffs draw closer. The Valkyries’ win snapped a three-game Sparks winning streak.
“All you see is highlights of her blocking shots,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said.
There were not many highlights to be seen on Saturday night, when Brink had a relatively quiet night in just 16 minutes. Barring a surprising matchup in the postseason, the teams will not face one another again for the rest of the season.
That could be for the better, in Golden State’s case.
Los Angeles has taken a cautious approach to Brink’s playing time.
“She’s still on a minutes restriction, but if she continues to feel good, that’ll get lifted soon,” Roberts said.
As more time passes and Brink builds up stamina, the shot-blocking Stanford alum should be a force for years to come, against both the Valkyries and the rest of the WNBA.