Stanford’s Brink expected to go No. 2 in draft, but could she fall?
Cameron Brink is going to be the No. 2 overall pick in the WNBA draft. Right?
Right?
Since the start of the college season, the belief has been that if the 6-foot-4 Stanford star declared for the draft, she would go second overall to the Los Angeles Sparks, right after Iowa’s Caitlin Clark went No. 1 to the Indiana Fever.
Ahead of Monday night’s draft, many analysts still have Brink going in that No. 2 spot. But some recency bias has created a bit of a question around whether South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso bumped up her stock enough to overtake Brink.
“I think Kamilla is in the conversation for No. 2, especially how she performed over the last month of the season,” said ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo. “She was dominant.”
Cardoso led the undefeated Gamecocks to a national championship, with the 6-7 senior averaging 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
Los Angeles picks at No. 2 and No. 4 in the draft. The primary reason to snag Cardoso as No. 2 would be the belief that the Chicago Sky would take her at No. 3.
However, if the Sparks pass on Brink, Chicago almost certainly would take advantage of the AllAmerican being available.
Many mock drafts have Chicago targeting Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson. One way or another, the Sky will be able to add one of Cardoso, Brink or Jackson. The Sparks’ hope of adding a formidable frontcourt of Brink and Cardoso probably happens only if they take Brink at No. 2, though.
“I think Cameron Brink’s gonna go 2,” Lobo said. “I wouldn’t be shocked if Cardoso went 2. And I think part of that is
“We have women coming into the draft this year who people are very much aware of and eager to see how their game is going to translate at the professional level.” ESPN’s Andraya Carter
you've got to put the pieces into the Jenga game or into the puzzle, and however that plays out. If you think that, ‘All right, Chicago's not gonna take Brink at 3, but they might take Cardoso at 3,' then you roll the dice and say all right, then I'm gonna take Cardoso at 2. Assuming they don't take Brink at 3, then I'll be able to get her at 4.”
Brink was a first-team AllAmerican, Pac-12 Player of the Year and national Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 17.8 points with 11.9 rebounds and led the nation with 3.7 blocks per game. When Brink was on the floor during her junior and senior seasons at Stanford, opponents shot 10% worse in the paint, according to College Basketball Analytics.
Long term, she likely projects stronger in the WNBA than college, since teams won't rely on her as heavily as Stanford did, and her limited minutes in a WNBA structure would mitigate foul trouble that plagued her with the Cardinal.
Brink's college career ended in the Sweet 16 when she fouled out against North Carolina State, her second consecutive NCAA Tournament game where she did so.
“We have women coming into the draft this year who people are very much aware of and eager to see how their game is going to translate at the professional level,” said ESPN's Andraya Carter.
Brink is probably the most pro-ready of the bigs in the draft, because of her defensive game and efficiency. There are concerns around her shooting range, but a more complete pro roster might not need that from her.
Some question whether Brink will get pushed around by other centers in the WNBA, and perhaps that will be a struggle early on. But Brink has dominated nearly every matchup she had with bigger players such as Iowa State's Audi Crooks or Oregon State's Raegan Beers at the college level.
The Sparks haven't made the WNBA playoffs since the bubble season in 2020. They've let future Hall of Famers Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray and Nneka Ogwumike walk in free agency.
Historically, the Sparks have been a team that prioritizes bigs. Brink might be their next star in that role for a team in its first true rebuilding season.