LOS ANGELES — The Sparks selected Stanford’s Cameron Brink with the second overall pick in the first round of the WNBA Draft in New York City Monday night.
The 6-foot-4 forward averaged a double-double with 17.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks as a senior. Brink was named the 2024 Naismith’s Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year.
The 2021 NCAA champion, could be a foundational player to replace the recently departed Nneka Ogwumike, who signed with the Seattle Storm as an unrestricted free agent in February.
In addition to her defensive prowess as a dynamic shot blocker on the college level, Brink could emerge as a stretch forward and a willing shooter from 3-point range while being an effective interior player who shoots nearly 85% from the free-throw line.
The Sparks draft party in downtown Los Angeles was attended by a host of basketball luminaries Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who is a part of the team’s ownership group, Naismith Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller and current Sparks guards Lexie Brown, Rae Burrell, Zia Cooke and Aari McDonald.
The Sparks were 17-23 last season and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, a franchise record, heading into the organization’s 28th season in the WNBA.
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