It should be no surprise that Stanford star Cameron Brink is on the cusp of WNBA stardom because, after all, there is some good basketball in her family. Her God-family, at least. That’s because Brink’s mother, Michelle Bain, was a collegiate roommate of Sonya Adams, who went on to marry a Hokie basketball player named Dell Curry. Sonya and Dell Curry are the parents of NBA superstar Stephen Curry and his younger brother Seth Curry, a 12-year NBA veteran.
When Cameron Brink was born, her mother asked Sonya Curry to be the godmother of her daughter. That makes Brink and the Curry men god-siblings.
After Brink announced she was going pro back in march, she told People.com about the relationship with Steph and Seth.
“Steph made this funny video, which I’m laughing about because my parents showed me before they put it on ESPN, and he was like, ‘League her.’ He always says that, which I think is funny,” Brink told the site.
She said Seth also made a video.
“He’s so funny because he’s like the shyest, most soft-spoken person I know,” Brink said. “But him sending a video and he looked genuinely excited, made me super happy.”
Cameron Brink a Much Different Player Than Stephen Curry
But family ties only run so far with this trio. While both Stephen Curry and Seth Curry are best known for their deep shooting and not exactly known as defensive stalwarts, Brink is the best defensive player in women’s college basketball, having won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award this season.
She has won the Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year three times, and averaged 3.7 blocks per game this season.
Her scouting report at Sporting News, where she was projected to be the No. 2 overall pick going to the L.A. Sparks, reads:
“Brink will leave Stanford as one of the greatest defenders the college game has ever seen. The nation’s leader in blocks per game (3.6) has won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year three consecutive times.
“In addition to her rim protection, Brink’s overall game has grown each year, with her evolving into averaging 17.5 points and 11.9 rebounds as a senior. That evolution shows her potential is through the roof and she’ll continue to grow as LA rebuilds.”
Ready for the WNBA
Brink will be joining an L.A. Sparks team that went 17-23 last year and is in the midst of a rebuild. She will also be joining an WNBA that has been on the rise in recent years and figures to continue to bolt upwards as the player likely selected ahead of Brink, Iowa star Caitlin Clark, turns pro.
Brink said she is looking forward to seeing Clark at the next level.
“I just appreciate her so much, and you have to appreciate what she’s done for the women’s game especially right now in college. That bleeds over everywhere,” Brink said, via Sporting News. “People are really invested in us, and it feels really nice. We love the recognition.”
But her game is much different—she might have loose relations with Steph Curry but Brink does not play like him. She is a grinder.
“I’m just proud of the way I’ve been playing and that’s because I play, it sounds silly, but I play from my heart and I try to play the right way,” Brink said. “I may not average crazy numbers, but I think people can appreciate that I love to play the game the right way.”
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Cameron Brink of WNBA Has Long Ties to Warriors Star Stephen Curry