Michael Jordan did the unthinkable in 1993. Right after winning three straight NBA titles, “His Airness” stepped away from the game and left everyone speechless. Then, just a year later, he doubled down on the shock factor, trading his sneakers for cleats to chase a baseball dream with the Birmingham Barons. It wasn’t exactly a storybook run, but it didn’t need to be. It proved one thing, though: elite hoopers often have more than just one sport in their bag. And when it comes to the next-gen stars of the WNBA, one name stands tall in that two-sport lane, Cameron Brink.

Basketball wasn’t even Cameron’s first love. As a kid, Brink was all about art and, of all sports, volleyball. Fast forward a few years, and as a sophomore at Southridge High School, Brink led her team to a second straight state volleyball championship. In fact, Nebraska offered her a scholarship to play middle blocker. She had a real choice: spike or swish? Well, as we all know, basketball won. And while her volleyball days may be behind her, trust, those instincts never left. 

Fresh off a brutal ACL recovery, the sophomore is easing her way back. Only 26 minutes over two games. But her impact has been loud. Need proof? A play from Sparks vs. Indiana Fever game just did. 

It was the third quarter, and Sparks were already up 74–64. Kelsey Mitchell threads what looks like an easy drop-off to Damiri Dantas near the rim. The announcer calls it a “great pass.” But Cam had other plans.  As Dantas went up, Cam met her mid-air – face-to-face – and swatted it away with both hands like she was back on the volleyball court. The crowd went nuts. One announcer said, “You look like a middle blocker!” Another chimed in, “You can see some of that volleyball in there!”

Well, for sure. It showed. A true former volleyball player.

Just like that, that kind of moves and energy was all LA needed to snap the Indiana Fever’s five-game win streak. The Fever had been one of the hottest win  streaks in the league, rolling into Los Angeles. But the Sparks weren’t having it. L.A. came out strong and never really looked back, leading nearly wire-to-wire and going up by as many as 22 points in the third quarter. Indiana did make things interesting with a 21-5 run in the fourth, cutting the lead down to single digits, but the Sparks held firm to close it out 100–91.

And you know, for some reason, the Sparks have had the Fever’s number all season. Despite Indiana sitting comfortably at fifth in the playoff race and L.A. on the outside looking in at 10th, the Sparks are now 3-0 against them. Two wins in Indiana. One more at Crypto.com Arena. It’s not exactly logical, but it’s clear: Los Angeles just knows how to beat this team.

Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum led the way with 25 points each, setting the tone offensively. And while Brink didn’t light up the scoreboard, she still racked up 3 rebounds and 5 blocks. And maybe that’s her specialty. Only three games into her return, and she already leads this one stat.

Cameron Brink climbs stats after return 

Coming off an injury is no easy feat, and Cameron Brink knows it better than most. After tearing her ACL in June 2024 and missing the remainder of the season, including the Olympics, the Los Angeles Sparks rookie has slowly started to find her way back. And even in limited minutes, she’s already making her presence felt.

Brink recently returned to action and has been easing in with a bench role. “For me, I look at this season as we already have great stuff going on. I just want to go in and bring positive energy,” she said. A sixth-man role gives her room to breathe, recover, and contribute without the pressure of full-time starter responsibilities.

But she’s already doing more than expected.

According to Polymarket Hoops, Brink currently ranks second in the WNBA in combined steals and blocks (aka “stocks”) since her return. It’s a small sample size, sure, but the numbers aren’t lying. In just 26 minutes of total action through her first two games, she recorded 3 steals and 4 blocks. And in her latest outing, she added 5 blocks in only 16 minutes. To put that in perspective, as a rookie last season, Brink averaged 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game in 21.9 minutes. If she even comes close to sustaining this new rate over a larger sample size, she’ll be one of the most disruptive defenders in the league.

Truly, Brink is quietly making a statistical case for being one of the most impactful defensive players in the W. And for someone fresh off an ACL tear, that’s saying a lot. The future of the W is indeed bright.