The Los Angeles Sparks have the tools needed for an improved 2025 WNBA season.
After an injury-ravaged 2024 campaign that ended in another disappointing postseason miss, Los Angeles underwent a roster transformation, from key players to the coaching staff.
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WATCH HERELynne Roberts from Utah joined as head coach, while All-Star and WNBA champion Kelsey Plum arrived in a multi-team blockbuster trade to assist Dearica Hamby with starpower. Sophomore Rickea Jackson is also a prime candidate for a possible leap.
But another key aspect to the roster is the return of Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall pick last season from who suffered a torn ACL early on.
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SIGN UP After her promising start ended in a devastating setback, Brink reflected on her basketball background that's shaped her path thus far.
"I think I was kind of in the perfect environment to be who I am today," Brink said in an interview to 온라인카지노사이트 Local while promoting Pretty Damn Good with . "I think everything happens for a reason. I was meant to come into this world with this family and my parents both playing basketball and our close family friends, the Currys, they all met at Virginia Tech. So we always say if Title IX weren't a thing and my mom didn't get a scholarship to VT and she didn't meet my dad there, I wouldn't be here."
Before joining the Sparks, Brink spent four years as a Cardinal and was ranked the No. 3 prospect in her class by ESPN, trailing only Paige Bueckers (now a Dallas Wing) and Angel Reese (now with the ).
Brink's WNBA journey is still young, but she left college with an important title added to her resume. As a freshman, Brink played a role when Stanford hoisted the national championship over Arizona in 2021, a defining moment in her ongoing path.
"The most pivotal moment was winning a national championship my freshman year at Stanford," Brink said. "It was really crazy time for everybody was in the midst of the pandemic. We were playing in the bubble and I really think it showed me what it was to overcome true hardship.
"It was a very hard year and also just the importance of being a great teammate and leaning on your people. ...I think that was truly the first one where I kind of came into my own and realized that I could play professionally and hopefully play basketball for as long as I want."
As Brink believes, everything happens for a reason. The college championship triumph helped improve her mentality given the competition at the next level, and she extracted some valuable lessons that also apply to life outside the hardwood.
"I think my mentality is kind of always been the same, but I think it's just heightened at the level of the WNBA because it truly is all of the best players in the world," Brink said. "I think it's just a fact that winning a championship is extremely hard.
"And when you do win one in college, it just reminds you that everything has to fall into place as well as you have to have the best leaders, the biggest work ethic, and you just have to be kind of interconnected. And also there's luck involved, too. So I think it kind of comes down to controlling what you control and just striving for greatness every day."
Every athlete has a different journey, a unique story to tell about their path to who they have become or are becoming. Sometimes things fall in place at certain times for athletes, while others endure different circumstances.
For Brink, she started later in basketball compared to other girls, but her path never had a moment where she thought she would quit and pivot elsewhere.
Brink said she dealt with jealousy and "undeserving hate" while in high school, but dealt with it by transferring schools to somewhere where she felt wanted and appreciated.
In today's age with the rise in social media usage among young people, more are susceptible to different types of bullying and hate that Brink once dealt with.
Brink offered advice to young girls on how to deal with the amplification of hate online.
"I don't know how this will sound, but I would truly say like touch grass," Brink said. "Like go outside, read a book. As much as it looks like I'm on social media, that is the facade. Like my social media is how I make money. So you don't see me, if you see me like in a setting with my team, my friends, I'm not on my phone. I try to be on my phone as little as possible, even though I'm not super successful at that.
"But life is so much more than social media. It's so much more than the drama in high school. High school is four years of your life. I wish I could see that now or I wish I knew that when I was in high school at the time. ... It looks like everyone's living and leading these perfect lives. It's not true. And, you know, life's about what you cultivate outside of it."
On the flip side of social media and the problems that may arise with it, mental health has become more imperative instead of a buried subject.
Brink said she's thankful to have grown up in a generation where mental health is more accepted having dealt with it either personally or by lending support to a teammate. Brink mentioned the impact of simply reaching out to get help as a starting point, then building a support system.
After tearing her ACL last season, Brink is hoping to spread more awareness about mental health in an authentic way once she ready's to open up.
"...It's a shared human experience. A lot of people have torn their ACLs and been through what I've been through and what I'm going through," she said. "...I'm just excited to share more and be more vulnerable about what it is like to be a professional athlete that deals with anxiety, that deals with depression, how to overcome it, what tips do I do, what are some strategies?
"I think there's a lot of people that appreciate and can kind of sympathize with it. So, why not share that and give someone a little bit of solace?"
Brink also treats herself with self care methods, at least one thing daily. Whether it's buying a treat, doing Pilates, calling a friend or getting a facial, she enjoys dedicating time to herself by doing things she knows will make her happy.
As Brink enters just her second season with plenty of new heights to reach in the W, she offered a lookahead to how she'd like her legacy to be away from the game.
"I want to be remembered off the court as someone who kind of can bridge the gap between people," Brink said. "I feel like I'm a connector and I get that from my mom. She is just a very joyful person.
"And so, if anything, I kind of hope my energy is contagious and I can just help brighten people's days. And also someone that was just authentically themselves, vulnerable, and someone who helped champion the growth of women's basketball."
