PHOENIX—Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink is making the most of her sophomore season in the WNBA.
Although the Sparks’ were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth year in a row following the Storm’s win over the Valkyries, Brink has every reason to be proud of her midseason comeback.
Since their last playoff appearance in 2020, the Sparks have been in rebuild mode. In 2024, they selected Brink No. 2 overall from Stanford, and guard Rickea Jackson No. 4 out of Tennessee.
Although she tore her ACL and meniscus during her rookie season, she shared several positive lessons she’s learned in her second year, including guidance from veteran players like Dearica Hamby, Azura Stevens, and Kelsey Plum.
Notorious for her dominant defensive presence and offensive versatility, Brink is an established two-way player since her days at Stanford, where she learned valuable lessons from Hall of Fame coach Tara Vanderveer.
Stay tuned for an exclusive interview I did with @LASparks forward Cameron Brink tomorrow for @Ballislife! I had the opportunity to do that in the pregame last night! 🏀 #WNBA pic.twitter.com/GGa3sK7yk0
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) September 11, 2025
Considered the future of women’s basketball, Brink became the first female basketball player to sign with New Balance, and her player-exclusive logo made its debut in August.
In July, Brink made her return after 13 months of recovery, taking the court at Cyrpto.com Arena and giving Sparks fans a glimpse of the future. Despite missing the playoffs, the Sparks fought hard and showed promise post WNBA All-Star break. With a core group of players, the team has much to be excited about for the future.
Brink spoke with Ballislife about her takeaways from her second season with the Sparks and her partnership with New Balance.
Ballislife: When you suffered your ACL and meniscus injury in your rookie season last year, what lessons did you learn, and who did you rely on?
Brink: “The biggest lesson was just leading each day with gratitude, and especially now that I’m back to basketball, just being thankful to be able to play again. And I really leaned on my trainers, Chelsea Ortega, Karissa (Scherer), of our staff. So I’m just really lucky to have a great village around me.”
Ballislife: In your second season, you played limited minutes while the Sparks were fighting for a playoff spot. What have been your biggest takeaways so far?
Brink: “I’m just trying to play my role the best I can, be a great teammate, bring energy when I can off the bench. And this team’s just really fun to be a part of. I love our coaching staff. Our organization has been really patient with me throughout this process, so I’ve been having a great time.”
Ballislife: Getting the opportunity to learn from Lynne Roberts and especially your teammates, what stands out to you the most?
Brink: “She thinks the game so well. And I love the way she approaches the game. She’s a really great, positive coach. Good human inside and out. The rest of our coaches are amazing. So been really thankful to learn from some of their best.”
Cameron Brink’s latest New Balance PE features of photo of herself on the tongue 😮💨😮💨 @cameronbrink22 pic.twitter.com/ysqQe6Tftc
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) August 8, 2025
Ballislife: Having made the transition from Stanford to the WNBA, especially now after two seasons, what advice do you have for future college players?
Brink: “It’s been honestly, a dream. It’s every basketball player’s dream to be a pro player. So I don’t take it lightly, I try to approach every day with an attack mindset and get better. And my advice would just be to enjoy it. Life’s short. Careers are short, so don’t take any of it for granted.”
Ballislife: You became the first women’s basketball athlete to sign a deal with New Balance. How cool is it to have a partnership with them?
Brink: “I mean, it’s amazing. They took a chance on me, and I’ve been with them for a while now, and they’re an amazing brand, and the people who lead that brand are just really great people. So I’m really thankful to be aligned with them, and hopefully for years to come, I’ll be partnered with them.”
Despite a 13-8 record post All-Star break, the Los Angeles Sparks have been eliminated from playoff contention.
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