Just three weeks in, the young 2024 WNBA season has had no shortage of contentious moments thus far.
It all started with the pre-draft chatter from veterans that presumed No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark would have trouble adjusting to the WNBA. Then, there was the hard foul from Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas on rookie Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese that led to an ejection. Last weekend, Sky guard Chennedy Carter said she had "no regrets" about giving Clark a shoulder-check in a game that was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul.
All of those events—and more—have triggered countless think pieces, an apology from a popular sports host and plenty of toxic debates normally reserved for men's sports. Amid all that, Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink took a deep breath and addressed those swirling narratives in a recent interview with UPROXX's Megan Armstrong.
"The most tired narrative is that the vets are against the rookies—this old-school versus new-school narrative—and the narrative that the rookies need to be perfect," Brink said to Armstrong. "I feel like Caitlin Clark has that the worst right now, but even I get that. She had three points the other night. I had three points the other night. We're expected to be perfect.
"We were drafted to high-drafting teams coming off losing seasons, which is fine. It's a learning process. But people expect us to be perfect, and it's freaking exhausting. I feel like we learn how to tune it out, but still, it's unrealistic, and it kind of just shows that people don't know basketball."
Through eight games, Brink—the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft—is averaging 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. She has scored in double figures three times but finished with four or fewer points in three of eight games.
Although she's just a rookie, Brink already has perspective about her place in the league. She told Armstrong she wants to make the WNBA "even more iconic than it is now"—and not just by posting double-doubles and blocking shots at the rim.
"I would just say growing the fan base to support all types of players," Brink said. "I will acknowledge there's a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That's not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine. Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look."
Now that's some incredible leadership.
TOM DIERBERGER
Tom is a writer and editor for the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. In the industry since 2016, Tom joined Sports Illustrated in 2023 after working with FOX Sports, Bally Sports, and NBC Sports. Off the clock, Tom can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.
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