USA’s 3v3 Team Haunted by Cameron Brink’s Absence Despite Bouncing Back on Winning Streak at the Paris Olympics

The 3×3 National Team for Paris has finally started to show some results. However, despite their strong performances over Canada, France, and Spain, people are remembering who they could not defeat. And certainly, it was the team’s defense that was questioned. One player who seemed to be missing from the 4-player squad was the 6-ft-4 forward of the Los Angeles Sparks– Cameron Brink. The reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year may not have flown to France due to her injury, but she surely is missed by many.

In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast, Noa Dalzell of the SB Nation showed her signs of concern. According to her, Cameron Brink could have helped the team a lot with her defensive skills. The analyst said, “I think Cameron Brink is someone who really could be on a 3×3 roster. Not only offensively can she bring a lot to the table obviously. But defensively, there have been some costly mistakes and there’s nobody to kind of plug that gap and kind of overcorrect their teammates’ errors.”

The Celtics writer believes that everyone’s making mistakes on the 3×3 roster right now. Moreover, they do not have anyone who could undo those mistakes. She further added, “She’s really really missing from this group. I think everybody knew that she was really hard to replace. Especially because you can’t just pick any other player. You have to have certain 3-on-3 points, they have to have played in some tournaments, which makes it more difficult. But yeah, I think this team probably wouldn’t be in this position if she was healthy and if she was able to compete.”

With all the talks, let us see why Cameron Brink could have really boosted the 3×3 team in the Olympics.

Making a case for Cameron Brink

Unlike her counterpart rookie Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, the former Cardinal was not snubbed. Still, Brink could not make the return due to the unfortunate ACL tear on her left knee. Sadly, she will also be missing her entire rookie season. Nevertheless, we can still talk about how her skills in the paint could have helped USA’s national team in the Olympics for the 3×3 event.

Certainly, great defenders are able to clean up people’s mistakes. The fact that Cameron Brink was leading the league in blocks when she was playing ascertains her authority on defense. To date, when she has missed 9 games already in the season, she still holds the third spot in the league for most blocks per game (2.3). Not to mention, her 5.3 boards per game would place her in the top twenty rebounders in the league.

Moreover, even in her collegiate career, Cameron Brink has won 3× Pac-12 All-Defensive Team and 3x Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. She has also gained national recognitions like the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and the 2023 WBCA Defensive Player of the Year. Not to mention, she has an MVP award for the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup where the team won a gold.

Cameron Brink’s absence is not only understandable but also felt in the Olympics. Nevertheless, Hailey Van Lith, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, and Cierra Burdick are picking up their pace as well. Now, the team has won the last three pool games. They will next face China as their fate-deciding opponents.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.