Brink fulfills childhood goal
By W.G. RAMIREZ
You'll have to excuse Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink if she takes a moment to set aside everything she's accomplished, be it at Stanford, or being selected second overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, or the impressive start to her rookie campaign.
After all, she’s checking off a specific goal she’s had since being a little girl.
Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink (l.) shoots over Minnesota Lynx veteran Napheesa Collier during a WNBA game on June 5, 2024.
PHOTO: Courtesy Los Angeles Sparks
"It definitely is an accomplishment in itself to be an Olympian," Brink said Thursday via Zoom, one day after being named to the 3x3 US Olympic team. "It's definitely a goal I've had. Even before being a WNBA player, I wanted to be an Olympian.
"It's a really big deal for me."
Brink, Cierra Burdick, Rhyne Howard and Hailey Van Lith will represent the United States in the Paris Games. The roster was selected by the USA Basketball 3x3 Women's National Team Committee.
And when 3x3 national teams director Jay Demings personally delivered the news to Brink, it was no wonder the 6-foot-4 former all-American broke down in happy tears.
From the final campaign of a decorated career at Stanford, which included a run into the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, to the WNBA Draft less than three weeks later, to Olympic tryouts, to Sparks training camp, to where she's at now, nine games into a professional career.
It truly was the culmination of what was an exhausting process for Brink.
"Exhausted mentally, physically ... it was a sacrifice that was worth making," she said. "And I'm glad it paid off.
“I had no idea I would make the team. Of course I was aiming for it. But it was definitely a huge surprise. And, it's always the biggest honor in my opinion to represent your country, especially at the Olympics. So it's just huge honor and I'm really excited to play with Hailey, Rhyne and Cierra Burdick.”
Brink, Burdick and Van Lith were on the team that won the FIBA World Cup last June in Austria. Brink was named MVP of the event. She also competed in two 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women's Series stops as a member of USA U24, finishing second in both Montreal and Quebec.
Brink admitted she would have been shocked if someone told her as a teen-ager, while she was watching and admiring the likes of Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird on Team USA, that she’d be representing her country in the Olympics at such a young age.
“I think it would just kind of be a shock,” Brink said. “But it's just always been a huge goal of mine. I don't know if I would have thought I could achieve it this young. For me, this is a big deal. And I've worked really hard for it. There's been a lot of really hard nights, long days, traveling to crazy places, remote places, to be able to qualify for this."
Brink, a member of USA Basketball since 2017, owns 5-on-5 gold medals from the 2018 FIBA U17 Women's World Cup and 2019 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup.
Along with helping Stanford to the 2021 NCAA championship, Brink finished her college career with 1,892 points, 1,223 rebounds, 226 assists and 424 blocks to become the third player with 1,800 points, 1,200 rebounds, 200 assists and 400 blocks in the past 25 years, joning Brittney Griner (Baylor) and Courtney Paris (Oklahoma).
Brink said there have been plenty of past Olympians she's admired, starting with former Stanford greats.
"I love volleyball, so Kerri Walsh Jennings is a huge role model for me, she went to Stanford as well," Brink said. "Honestly, anyone that went to Stanford, there's like a huge Olympian list of Stanford athletes. So I think just being able to add to that culture is huge for me."
It would be hard for anyone to rank Brink's accomplishments, as she’s one of the most decorated players in women's college basketball history. Now, she and her Olympic teammates will bid to give the U.S. its second-straight gold medal in the event, which made its Olympic debut in Tokyo.
"I don't know if I could rank my accomplishments, but obviously there's still a lot of work to be done," Brink said. "We want to win gold."
