
USA Today via Reuters
Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink arrives before the game against the Seattle Storm at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Cameron Brink arrives before the game against the Seattle Storm at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
One of the most dynamic players of the league, sadly, Cameron Brink, has been forced out of the court for a long time due to a torn ACL. But that doesn’t stop her: neither from making news, nor from reading more about a talent that has years to grow. And Cameron is so much more than her Godbrother, Stephen Curry. Though yes, that connection is real, and it runs deep. However, that’s not what makes her special.
What sets her apart is how she has carved out her own path. She wasn’t just part of Stanford’s national championship run; she was an absolute force in it, earning the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors for 3 straight years. But now in the WNBA? She’s quickly becoming one of the most disruptive defenders in the league. While some players like A’ja Wilson or Arike Ogunbowale have built their journeys from the ground up, Cameron has had a different kind of advantage: a supportive family network. And again, it stems beyond the Currys’.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Who are Cameron Brink’s parents?
Cameron Brink was born into a family where basketball was a way of life. Her parents, Michelle Bain-Brink and Greg Brink, both played college basketball at Virginia Tech (alongside Dell Curry) and passed their passion for the sport on to their daughter. Growing up in this environment gave Cameron a strong foundation, not only in athletic skill but in discipline, resilience, and the value of hard work. It’s no surprise she grew up to become one of the most promising young talents in women’s basketball.
Michelle and Greg turned their love of sports into successful careers with Nike. Michelle worked as a product line manager, contributing to groundbreaking projects such as designing a signature shoe for WNBA legend Dawn Staley. Greg, meanwhile, climbed the corporate ladder to serve in several top-level roles, including CEO of Nike North America and Nike EMEA. He eventually retired as Vice President of Supply Chain for the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, after a career defined by leadership and innovation on a global scale.

via Imago
The Brink household was always basketball-adjacent, but never pushy about it. Cameron and her 6’9″ brother Cy (a Dean’s List student at the University of Washington) were free to find their paths. Cameron was into art before basketball clicked for her. It was watching her godbrother Steph play, plus attending camps run by her godfather Dell Curry, that eventually sparked her love for the game.
How did Michelle Bain-Brink and Greg Brink meet?
Michelle Bain-Brink and Greg Brink’s love story started the way so many college romances do. It was through basketball and a little bit of hallway awkwardness. Back in 1985, they were both on scholarship at Virginia Tech, practicing in connected facilities where they would pass each other in hallways daily. Greg, being the quiet type, would always give a polite nod but never worked up the nerve to actually ask Michelle out.
What’s your perspective on:
Is Cameron Brink's rise in the WNBA more about talent or her famous connections?
Have an interesting take?
So Michelle, being the go-getter she is, understood Greg’s hesitation and cut through the tension by inviting him to a casual pick-up game. That was all it took to break the ice. What made their connection even stronger was their shared circle. Michelle happened to be roommates with Sonya Curry (yes, Steph’s mom), while Greg was teammates with Dell Curry on the Hokies squad. Those overlapping friendships created this natural extended family vibe that has now lasted for decades.
What ethnicity are Cameron Brink’s parents?
Cameron Brink’s parents, Michelle and Greg Brink, are both White Americans. Michelle is originally from the East Coast, and Greg was also born and raised in the U.S., although their specific ancestry (like Irish or German roots) hasn’t been spelled out publicly. Their backgrounds are broadly European-American.
Though they share that same cultural heritage, they made sure Cameron grew up with a wider worldview. The family spent three years living in Amsterdam while Greg worked for Nike overseas, before eventually settling in Beaverton, Oregon. Basketball roots were a constant in their lives, but diversity mattered just as much.
Cameron Brink’s relationship with her parents
Their entire relationship is based on trust and openness. For instance. Michelle could’ve easily pushed Cameron into basketball. After all, she’d been a standout player herself at Virginia Tech. But she and Greg took a different approach. They encouraged Cameron to explore everything. Whether that was art, science, or sports. When Cameron faced body-shaming in high school, Michelle got it.
She had been there too. That understanding became a safe space for Cameron, especially during the lonely COVID season at Stanford when Michelle would surprise her with care packages at team hotels. No wonder Cameron calls her mom her “first role model”. It’s because that support never wavered. Greg brought his own kind of strength to his daughter’s life.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
As a former Virginia Tech player and Nike exec, he understood the basketball world but never forced it on Cameron. She’s called him “my rock and my world”. He is the kind of dad who stayed steady through everything, even helping move her into her first LA apartment when she joined the Sparks. Between Michelle’s empathy and Greg’s quiet support, Cameron had exactly what she needed to grow into the fierce player and lovely person that she is today.
Besides this, Cameron Brink shares a close bond with the Curry family, rooted in a decades-long friendship between her mother, Michelle Bain-Brink, and Sonya Curry, Stephen and Seth Curry’s mom. Michelle and Sonya were college roommates and teammates at Virginia Tech, and that connection made Cameron close to Dell and Sonya Curry. She grew up with the Curry brothers as extended family, often looking to them for guidance and inspiration.
Steph Curry is Cameron Brink’s godbrother
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 15, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Stephen Curry, in particular, has played a mentor-like role in Cameron’s life, offering support and insight as she navigates her basketball journey. Training with him during off-seasons and learning from his experience helped prepare her for the spotlight. For Cameron, the Currys are more than sports royalty—they’re family, and a steady source of encouragement on and off the court.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Is Cameron Brink's rise in the WNBA more about talent or her famous connections?