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On a recent episode of Los Angeles Sparks’ forward Cameron Brink’s podcast,”Straight 2 Cam” with Sydel Curry-Lee, she and former Las Vegas Aces’ guard Deja Kelly discussed the visible differences between college basketball fanbases from a player’s perspective.
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Kelly spent an impressive lone graduate season with Oregon, averaging 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while leading the Ducks to a 2025 NCAA Tournament second round appearance.
The Duncanville, Texas, native spent her first four collegiate seasons at North Carolina. She left Chapel Hill ranked No. 8 in the program’s all-time scoring list (1,858 points) and helped the Tar Heels to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
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“UNC’s culture, you have to have some thick skin to deal with their fanbase, their culture, their community,” Kelly told Brink. “Not that it was bad, it’s just like, they are diehard.
“And for me .. it came with a lot of BS,” she continued. “In a positive light, they love you to death cause they’re so ride or die.”
Brink, who secured three All-Pac-12 honors while spending all four of her collegiate seasons at Stanford, further spoke with Kelly in contrasting the North Carolina experience with that of Oregon.
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“The biggest difference with Oregon was it’s like an older fanbase, like older people … really nice,” Kelly said. “They all were just season ticket holders forever. They just want to see the program do good and they’re there to support no matter what.
“Last year, when they had a really bad year, [Oregon] still averaged about 6,000 fans,” Kelly added. “That’s a sold-out crowd at UNC … to have that support, I think that’s the biggest difference.”
Las Vegas waived Kelly on May 12, an announcement that went viral and came as a surprise to many.
The news came nearly a month after the Aces announced the signing of the 5-foot-8 guard to a training camp contract on April 18.
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Brink, on the other hand, is expected to return to game action sometime this June, according to ESPN’s Holly Rowe — following a season-ending ACL injury in 2024 and nearly a full-year recovery process.
“Checking in with her and her people today, she said she’s doing really well in rehab,” Rowe said during the 2025 WNBA Draft broadcast. “Sources close to the Sparks have told me she is likely to return around June before the All-Star break.”
More Sparks news:
A’ja Wilson Speaks Out on Losing Kelsey Plum to Sparks
Sparks’ Kelsey Plum Reacts to Georgia Amoore’s ACL Injury
International Legend Reveals Reason For Rejoining LA
Sparks Waive Two Players Ahead of 2025 Season
Sparks’ Cameron Brink Revisits Feeling After Tearing ACL
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Sparks, visit Los Angeles Sparks on SI.
