Cameron Brink, not Caitlin Clark, has been the WNBA's best rookie through first week of 2024 season

Stephen Noh

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Cameron Brink, not Caitlin Clark, has been the WNBA's best rookie through first week of 2024 season image

As the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, expectations are high for Cameron Brink. She has managed to exceed them after her first three games, averaging a well-balanced 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. 

Brink's impact goes far beyond those box score stats. She has already shown Defensive Player of the Year potential and a unique blend of offensive skills that could make her one of the best two-way bigs in the league.

Here's why you should be excited about the start of Brink's career.

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Cameron Brink has Defensive Player of the Year talent

Brink has been a shot-blocking menace, exhibiting great timing and rotations as a helper in the paint. Only seven players in NBA or WNBA history have more than Brink's 11 blocks through their first three games. 

In just her third game, Brink had two game-winning blocks against the Mystics, leading the Sparks to their first win of the year. 

Brink's immense talent is already being recognized and game-planned against by the best coaches in the league.

Becky Hammon chose to go with a smaller lineup late in the Aces' win against the Sparks to combat Brink's defense. Hammon compared Brink's impact to four-time DPOY Rudy Gobert, as told to reporter Nekias Duncan. 

In that game, Brink had the unenviable task of guarding two-time MVP A'ja Wilson. She showed no fear in that matchup, blocking Wilson twice and altering a number of other shots. 

Wilson was impressed with Brink after the game, noting that “she has a really, really bright future.

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Cameron Brink has a special set of offensive skills

Brink hasn't had the opportunity to do a ton on offense yet, but she has made the most of her chances. She's been a lights-out 3-point shooter, hitting 40.0 percent of her looks thus far. That's far better than the 29.9 percent she hit at Stanford, so that number will go down a bit. But her stretch ability has been vital for the Sparks. 

Brink is much more than a spot-up shooter. She has a good first step for a player of her size and can get right past her defender one-on-one. When she does create that separation, she has been great at making the right read to find open teammates. She had the early pass of the season in her first game.  

That high feel shows up in other areas of the game. She's already adept at getting early seals on mismatches for layups, making advanced reads out of dribble handoffs and working out of the post with her quickness and footwork. 

Brink beat Wilson, a two-time DPOY, in an isolation post-up in her second game with a nifty scoop layup. 

Brink should up her scoring as she gains experience in the league. For now, she's deferring to teammates, probably too much. 

"We got to find her more shots. She’s unselfish to a fault," Sparks coach Curt Miller said after Brink's third game. "She's not a natural hunt for her own offense type of player. But that will come. Her immediate impact here as she gets accustomed to playing in this league is certainly at the defensive end."

It's been an extremely impressive start for Brink, who clearly has the skills to make a big impact in the league. There aren't many rookies that show these kinds of defensive skills so early in their careers. She is going to be a special player. 

Stephen Noh

Stephen Noh Photo

Stephen Noh started writing about the NBA as one of the first members of The Athletic in 2016. He covered the Chicago Bulls, both through big outlets and independent newsletters, for six years before joining The Sporting News in 2022. Stephen is also an avid poker player and wrote for PokerNews while covering the World Series of Poker from 2006-2008.