Cameron Brink and this year’s star-studded rookie class are changing the WNBA and women’s basketball for the better, drawing in new audiences both with TV ratings and game attendance.
But as the Los Angeles Sparks forward expressed in a new interview with Uproxx, she’s looking to extend that impact beyond the numbers, hoping to play a part in breaking the “younger white” privilege in the league.
“I could go way deeper into this, but I would just say growing the fan base to support all types of players,” Brink said. “I will acknowledge there’s a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That’s not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine. Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look.
“I know I can feed into that because I like to dress femininely, but that’s just me. I want everyone to be accepted — not just paid attention to because of how they look.”
The second-overall pick in this year’s draft out of Stanford, Brink has continued to adjust to the league, not to mention the tiresome narratives she and her fellow players have had to grapple with.
“The most tired narrative is that the vets are against the rookies — this old-school versus new-school narrative — and the narrative that the rookies need to be perfect, Brink said. “I feel like [Indiana Fever rookie] Caitlin Clark has that the worst right now, but even I get that. She had three points the other night [against New York on June 2]. I had three points the other night [against Indiana on May 28]. We’re expected to be perfect. We were drafted to high-drafting teams coming off of losing seasons, which is fine.
“It’s a learning process. But people expect us to be perfect, and it’s freaking exhausting. I feel like we learn how to tune it out, but still, it’s unrealistic, and it kind of just shows that people don’t know basketball.”
Growing pains are expected for rookies, many of which have been well-documented in Clark’s case, along with other happenings on the court.
Over the weekend, Clark was hip-checked by Chicago Sky vet Chennedy Carter, a foul later upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
Carter refused to answer questions about Clark after the game and said Monday she has no regrets.
Brink has given a solid performance to start her professional career.
The forward has started in all eight games, averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks across 47.2 percent shooting.
The Sparks enter Wednesdayt’s game against the Lynx in last place in the Western Conference with a 2-6 record.
