While the ACL injury would end her rookie season and deny her the chance of being an Olympian, Cameron Brink knew she could fall back on an iron-clad support system. Her now-fiance helped with the hospital runs, her mother would say, “With you for every step baby girl.” It’s nothing new to the Sparks star. Her parents, Michelle and Greg, have refused to ever miss her games, and when she was forced to stay off the court, they still refused to leave her side. So when Brink paid her tribute with three simple words, we know she meant it all.

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, the Click Clack podcast did something special– a tribute to the woman behind the star. “Behind every great athlete is a mom,” the post captioned. The clip in the background complied every time Brink was spotted with her mom, Michelle Bain-Brink– from draft day, Stanford games, national team glory, to the heartbreaking ACL injury. “Their love, commitment, sacrifice, and heart to raise their kids to achieve greatness deserves more than a day,” the caption continued, introducing the podcast’s new series on mothers, with Michelle being the first guest.

Cameron Brink couldn’t miss out on doubling down on the honor for a woman who has been there every step of the way while being a businesswoman herself. “Best mom ever🩷,” the LA forward wrote, resharing the post on her Instagram.

Well, it has been quite evident.

Michelle was a college basketball player at Virginia Tech herself before going on to become an executive at Nike. Her husband and Cameron’s father, Greg, was a basketball player, too. But they never forced it on their kids. Even when her godmother, Sonya Curry, recognized the potential. “She kept asking her and probing. ‘Why Cameron? Why don’t you just try?’” shared Michelle. But if you ask the mother of two, she’ll say, “They have to want to do it.” 

And so when Cameron gradually developed a liking for the sport, Michelle gave her daughter all the tools to succeed. From delivering macrons and books to her during isolation, to giving her the confidence to embrace her feminine side. So as Mother’s Day rolled around, Cameron made sure to give her mother the flowers she deserved. She even had her over for one of their podcast episodes on Straight to Cam. “The best full circle moment,” she’d write.

From silly little posts of a teen Cam to a cushion to fall back on during her injury recovery, Michelle has helped offer the right environment for the Sparks star. “Fearless, passionate, compassionate,” Michelle once described her daughter, and we see it now. After the surgery, the rehab, and all the tireless practices, just about a month remains for her return to the court now after exiting in July last year.

Cameron Brink’s return lights Sparks

While FanDuel has placed the Sparks at +6000 to win a chip, the Sparks won’t pay it much heed. After all, the Minnesota Lynx who registered a trip to the finals last year were also listed at +5000 when the 2024 season started. But for them to follow a path like the Lynx, a lot needed to change from last year. After finishing with the worst record in the league in the 2024 season, the Sparks brought in a new head coach to replace Curt Miller and made a blockbuster deal with the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces, acquiring Kelsey Plum.

“We have a really good new offense coming. We’re all just really high-motor players, competitive – we’re a really competitive team – so I think we will surprise people.” said Brink of the fresh roster. The Sparks lacked a reliable playmaker last year evident in them having the 2nd most turnovers in the entire league. While they’re dark horses for sure, Plum’s arrival solves this problem and adds offensive firepower to a squad already including three-time All-Star Dearica Hamby and All-Rookie forward Rickea Jackson.

“I think talking with [Sparks head coach] Lynne [Roberts] and definitely following the lead of Dearica and Kelsey, it’s just to win,” Brink said of the team’s expectations in 2025. “And I feel like we don’t have a lot of pressure and that’s what’s so beautiful about it. We can just go out and play hard.” Brink’s return to this squad can build on these expectations, especially on the defensive end. A player who is vocal about her love for defense, she ranked second in the WNBA in blocks per game before her injury in June 2022. Over the 15 games she featured in, she averaged 2.3 blocks, giving a taste of just what she’s capable of.