Staying in Cali: Los Angeles Sparks select Stanford star Cameron Brink second overall in WNBA Draft
Stanford center Cameron Brink drafted second overall to Los Angeles Sparks.
Stanford star Cameron Brink won’t have to leave the state when she starts her WNBA career.
The Los Angeles Sparks selected the 6-foot-4 center with the second overall pick during Monday’s draft, making her the first Stanford player to be selected with a top two pick since Chiney Ogwumike went No. 1 in 2014.
As expected, the Indiana Fever picked Iowa guard Caitlin Clark first overall.
The Sparks selected Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson with the fourth pick, pairing Brink with the high-scoring forward.
Brink was this past season’s Pac-12 Player and Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 51% from the field.
“I love that I could stay on the West Coast,” Brink said in a post-draft news conference. “I love that they took a chance on me, and I feel like I’m just going to show that I can work really hard and help them a lot.”
Brink led Stanford to a Sweet 16 appearance, where the Cardinal fell to Final Four participant North Carolina State.
Accompanied by her family — which included her godmother Sonya Curry, mother of Warriors superstar Stephen Curry — Brink was emotional walking up to the podium after her name was called. She has a close relationship with the Curry family and said she talked to the Golden State point guard moments before her name being called.
“I actually FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started,” Brink said. “He just said to have fun with it. I think he can just share so much great advice because obviously he’s been through this. He just said to make this fun because it can be stressful.”
The Sparks finished last season 17-23 and missed the playoffs.
When asked what skills will translate most to the WNBA, Brink told the ESPN pre-draft show, “I think it will be my ability to guard guards. I think I still need to develop my offensive skills, I think that will come with time. But I think immediately I can switch one through five. That’s what I can bring to the table immediately.”
Brink will be joining an L.A. team that features Ogwumike, Lexie Brown and former Cal guard Layshia Clarendon. Brink will look to fill the hole that was left by Ogwumike’s sister and the Sparks leading scorer from last season, Nneka Ogwumike, who departed for the Seattle Storm in free agency. L.A. also traded away veteran point guard and second leading scorer Jordin Canada this offseason.
Brink finished her career at Stanford winning a national championship in 2021, earning two Pac-12 Player of the Year awards (2022, 2024) and three Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors (2022-2024). She leaves Stanford as the Cardinal’s all-time leader in blocks with 424.