rewrite this content and keep HTML tags (remove this from content : rewrite this content and keep HTML tags)
Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink may be known for her impressive game, but she is proving to be more than just a basketball player. The 23-year-old from New Jersey is making waves not only on the court but also for Sports Illustrated’s legendary swimsuit edition.
Brink was front and center in the latest swimsuit edition and made headlines with her stunning photos. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft may not have played as much as she had hoped, due to her torn ACL, which cut her season short, but he’s making a name for herself in the fashion industry.
This swimsuit edition is just one of the many avenues she’s taken since arriving at the WNBA. While she’s more than confident in who she is, she still struggles with the fine line between being a woman and an athlete.
Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
“I think it’s always really hard to be a woman in this world, but especially a female athlete,” Brink said. “Am I supposed to look more feminine? Am I supposed to look more athletic? What’s the balance? What do people think?”
“My femininity—I hold that very close to my self-image, so it’s definitely gone back and forth,” Brink notes. “I think every female athlete’s had a really rough go with body image. But I’m definitely glad I’ve gotten to a really good place, and I’m able to do stuff like this with SI Swimsuit. It’s just very empowering, so I hope everyone can get to a point like this.”
The 6-foot-4 Olympian and NCAA champion is more than just her skills on the court; she wants people to realize that with the photos.
“When people look at these photos, I hope they just take away that I put a lot of work into my body, and it’s a lot of work to be a professional athlete,” she says. “Also, it’s hard to put your body out there, but it’s also really empowering.”
Brink has been the center of attention since her time at Stanford. She spent four seasons there and became one of the best ever to don the cardinal red and white. In her time in Palo Alto, she was named to the first-team All-American unanimously, a three-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American, won the Lisa Leslie Award, was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and was named the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2022 and 2024.
Brink has proven to be a special talent on and off the court.
