A second mother and mentor in Dearica Hamby, a friend in Layshia Clarendon, and support in rookie Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink truly created familial bonds with her teammates. However, these connections don’t simply end there. The reigning National Defensive Player of the Year has become friends with most of the league already. While her ACL injury may have cut her rookie season short, the 22-year-old has continued to shine outside of the court as well.

Recently, Cameron Brink became the cover girl for Flaunt Magazine for its The Gold Standard issue. During her interview with Matthew Bedard, the 6-ft-3 forward opened up on how the WNBA veterans are the source of motivation for her. She said, “It’s honestly inspirational for me just playing with these women who show up every day even when the days are hard. A lot of them are mothers. They have kids. This is how they support their families.”

The Stanford alumna also mentioned how she respects all the veterans in the competitive league who “pour their everything into it.” The 2021 National Champion was reflecting on the fact of how difficult grabbing a win can be when playing professional basketball. She added, “I think, especially this year, I’m learning how hard it is to win. It is extremely hard. So, every single game is going to be a battle.”

Certainly, as a collegiate player, the competition is a little lighter since not all teams are as Championship title-worthy. However, in the WNBA, every player is a professional who is working hard to stay on a roster and earn a living. Still, Cameron Brink added how she is learning to show up every day with a positive attitude and will. Interestingly, she is not the only rookie who has mentioned this.

Cameron Brink, Caitlin Clark, and more speak up on coping with “not winning“

There is no surprise that the rookies of this draft class more often than not won in their college programs. Now, they are not just facing troubles adjusting to the league itself but also the fact that wins do not come easy at this level. Cameron Brink led her team in rebounds, steals, and blocks as a senior. She also led them to a 30-6 record with the first standing in the Pac-12. Now, the LA Sparks are one of the last three teams in the WNBA.

Previously, Caitlin Clark also spoke up on the same matter. The Indiana Fever rookie who collected over 46 records and awards during her time at Iowa, led the Hawkeyes to a 34-5 record as a senior. When her team was hit with back-to-back losses in the rough scheduling of the opening weeks in the WNBA, the first overall pick mentioned how the team was young, and they had not set their expectations to reach the championship game already. She simply spoke up on how the team will grow over time and try to make it to the playoffs.

Other rookies are also going through similar experiences as all of them try to grow chemistry with their new teams. While we may not see Cameron Brink for some time on the floor, she does sit on the sideline with her team’s home game to cheer for them. Surely, we can hope for her to return sooner rather than later. Until then, we have her ravishing photos and interesting interviews to stay connected to her.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.