LA Sparks Fans Look Away as Cameron Brink Drops Bold Confession on Unrivaled

As we already know, Cameron Brink signed a multi-year deal with Unrivaled and was named to the Lunar Owls squad. But she won’t be hitting the court just yet as she’s still recovering from an ACL injury. That ended her debut WNBA season. Now, while we missed on both W and Unrivaled courts, the 2204 no.2 pick admits that sitting out Unrivaled is hitting her harder.

“It’s just hard to be on the sideline. And it’s kind of almost been even more, it’s been more difficult to be watching this than the W season. And I don’t know why. I can’t really figure out why, but I think maybe because it’s three on three. And that’s what I missed out on the Olympics,” Brink confessed.

Now, Sparks fans might not love hearing this, but we totally get where she’s coming from. Missing out on any season is heartbreaking, but this time around, it’s not just about playing; it’s about a whole different style of basketball that she was excited to be a part of. Plus, it must remind her of the Olympic games.

In case you need a refresher, Brink’s injury happened back in June when she was up against the Connecticut Sun. She slipped on the court, tore her left ACL, and her debut season was over. But it wasn’t just her rookie season that took a hit—her Olympic dreams were crushed, too. 

The Stanford alumna had her eyes on playing 3-on-3 for Team USA in Paris, but instead, she was forced to sit on the sidelines, watching it all unfold from afar. And now Unrivaled has a similar structure but she can’t lace up for that, either. 

And if missing the action wasn’t enough, the LA Sparks has another reason for feeling left out—she’s completely obsessed with her teammates. “I love my teammates. It’s really, like truly every single one of my teammates, I like, I’m obsessed. So it’s just like, I just feel like I’m missing out, but that’s okay,” she admitted on the first episode of her podcast “Straight to Cam.”

Her Lunar Owls squad features stars like Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Shakira Austin. With a roster like that, who wouldn’t want to be out there hooping? But even though she can’t physically play, the 23-year-old isn’t just sitting around sulking. 

She’s staying involved in every possible way—whether it’s showing up to practices, cheering her team on social media, or just being the ultimate hype woman. Even when her teammate Skylar Diggins-Smith hit a game-winning three to seal the Lunar Owls’ first victory, Brink couldn’t contain her excitement. 

She took to social media to shout out “big momma” in celebration. And then there was that epic moment when Brink drained a half-court shot right in the middle of the Unrivaled logo. What did she do next? Bust out a little dance before jumping on Diggins-Smith to celebrate. 

Basically, the whole squad has been tight-knit, pouring love into each other’s comment sections. They even shared plenty of behind-the-scenes moments from Unrivaled Media Day.

Cameron Brink gets real about awkward reporter interaction

While Brink has been making herself available for media sessions, not every interaction has been sweet. In fact, one left her feeling seriously uncomfortable. “I was doing some media for the press when I was in Miami for Unrivaled and three different reporters asked me if I was playing,” Brink shared. 

Looking back on it, the hooper admitted that she is very sensitive and that this has been the hardest thing she has ever had to go through. She explained that being asked such questions, especially when she doesn’t feel like it’s on her own terms to discuss, makes her very emotional

Then, things got even more awkward. “The reporter asked me, ‘So what specifically are you able to do? And like, why are you here, basically?’ And I just sat there and I kind of lost it.” 

The Sparks forward understands why people might be confused about her presence on the roster even though she isn’t playing, but at the same time, she expected a little more tact from the media when it comes to discussing her injury. 

“To be clear, I think people just don’t realize that ACLs take nine to 12 months,” she explained. “Anytime someone asks me about it in that kind of setting, I just feel so—I’m not back yet. And why can’t you just accept that?”

The good news is while moments like these may upset, her teammates have been her ultimate support. She might not be ready to return for Unrivaled, but Brink is putting in the work as she intends to return for WNBA season 2. 

And when she does make her return, you can bet she’ll be coming back stronger than ever!