Cameron Brink is a face of the WNBA — even if basketball doesn’t solely define her

A recent quote by Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink might be misleading, particularly in the eyes of WNBA fans and sports die-hards as a whole.

“It’s kind of nice to be away from basketball for a second,” Brink told The Athletic.

Immediately, the idea of Brink being away from playing the game she loves for nearly nine months can come off as a red flag. Her WNBA season was cut short when she tore the ACL in her left knee during the first quarter of a June 18 game against the Connecticut Sun.

Surely, she still has love for the game, right?

Brink was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft behind Caitlin Clark. She was a three-time All-Pac 12 player at Stanford and was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. She’s also a three-time gold medalist in FIBA World Cup play and last June was named to the four-member U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Brink misses being on the court, but her quote is proof that she is more than basketball. Much more.

In an Instagram post a day after her injury, Brink said she will “not be derailed and I will continue to love this life.” In the same post, she also acknowledged that she is “not defined by basketball.” The injury has allowed Brink to show that she is a classic example of someone who can make lemonade out of lemons.

The time since last season has allowed Brink to expand her scope of vulnerability and experiences. Among her many passions outside of basketball is fashion. As someone who feels her attire off the court is as important as her production on it, Brink visited Paris for men’s and women’s Fashion Week last fall. LeagueFits, a leading platform for NBA and WNBA players to showcase their fashion sense, named her one of the five members of the WSlam All-LeagueFits Rookie Team.

That Paris trip ultimately became more than just fashion; Brink also got engaged to Ben Felter, a former Stanford athlete and four-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll member of the rowing team.

Brink has been rehabilitating the injured knee. But she also remained busy — simply by living and enjoying a lifestyle she would have chosen had basketball not been an option.

“I feel like I’ve come into a stage in my life where I’m just authentically myself no matter where I am,” Brink said. “I’m just going to be myself, and I know a lot of people appreciate me for who I am.”

Fashion and modeling seems like a perfect fit at first glance for the 6-foot-4 forward. It actually meshes well with her NIL apparel deals, which include New Balance and Urban Outfitters. In August 2023, Brink became the first female basketball player to sign with New Balance.

As she works her way back to the basketball court, Brink also has found an opportunity to further connect with fans digitally with her podcast. “Straight to Cam” focuses on pop culture, social media trends and everyday life situations, in addition to her life in the WNBA. Brink co-hosts the podcast with her godsister, former college volleyball player Sydel Curry-Lee — the younger sister of the NBA’s Steph and Seth Curry and the wife of Phoenix Suns guard Damion Lee.

“I’m always open to stuff like that,” Brink said, “just because it’s something I’m passionate about.”

An athlete venturing to Paris for Fashion Week isn’t unusual, but for Brink, the excitement of traveling coupled with an unexpected engagement announcement has helped her cope with a devastating injury so early in her much-anticipated professional basketball career. She averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 15 games as a starter for the Sparks. She shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and 32 percent from the 3-point line.

Brink’s enthusiasm for fashion and the industry is shared by her family. She relies on a team that includes her mother, Michelle Bain-Brink, when it comes to selecting her looks off the court and specifically for the catwalk before WNBA games. Bain-Brink is a former college basketball player at Virginia Tech.

With Michelle standing 6-foot-3, there’s a special connection in finding clothing complementary to her daughter’s tall frame.

“I would say it’s collaborative,” Brink said.

Still, Brink understands that this chapter in her life is somewhat temporary. Basketball soon will take over once again as her primary responsibility. The WNBA season starts May 16, and the Sparks will open with a road game against the expansion Golden State Valkyries. Whether she will be cleared for an opening-day return is to be determined. She signed a two-year deal with Unrivaled in December but won’t play in the three-on-three league until the 2026 season.

Her summer return will be anticipated by fans and teammates alike. One of the newest faces in Los Angeles, three-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league champion Kelsey Plum, was a part of a three-team trade that included the Sparks, the Las Vegas Aces and the Seattle Storm. Plum is excited about teaming up with a young core that will include Brink and Rickea Jackson — who, coincidentally, also was on the WSlam All-LeagueFits Rookie Team.

“I think Cam is a Defensive Player of the Year waiting to brew,” Plum said. “(The Sparks have) the best young frontcourt in the league, and it’s not even close.”

“She’s a great leader and is already a great teammate to me,” Brink said of Plum. “It means a lot to be around that star power in L.A., and we’re building.”

Rookie seasons typically are when young players learn. Brink’s education in a matter of months has involved much more than basketball. It could be the start of a very versatile career during and outside the WNBA and Unrivaled seasons.

Whatever the case, she’s ready for the journey, regardless of where it takes her. And she’s not about keeping that journey a secret.

“I just feel like I have more to share with the world. Why not start something fun when there’s so much serious stuff going on every day?” she said. “Why not have a little bit of fun that brings joy to others?”

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)