Cameron Brink was quick to congratulate Caitlin Clark’s scoring accomplishment this week. (Image: Getty Images)
Iowa basketball guard Caitlin Clark made history this week, prompting an outpouring of support from her peers, including Stanford standout and fellow Team USA hopeful Cameron Brink
Stanford star Cameron Brink joined the wave of positive reactions from the women’s college basketball community after Caitlin Clark broke the all-time NCAA scoring record on Thursday night, underlining the togetherness shared by the top stars of an up-and-coming generation.
“Congrats queen,” Brink wrote in an Instagram Stories message overlayed on top of a throwback picture taken with Clark in which the Iowa guard has her arm around the Stanford forward.
While Brink and Clark have never played against each other in college – Iowa and Stanford last faced off in 2009-10 – they’ve crossed paths on the Team USA youth basketball circuit. They’re among the best active NCAA players, and each is likely to go in the top five of the WNBA Draft whenever they declare for the professional ranks.
Brink was far from the only familiar face in women’s college basketball to give Clark a shout-out shortly after she passed Kelsey Plum on the all-time NCAA scoring list with a deep 3-pointer against Michigan. LSU forward Angel Reese shared a heartfelt note on social media, while South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley brought up Clark to reporters after the Gamecocks defeated Tennessee.
The widespread appreciation for Clark helped reduce any tensions that had built up in recent months as Iowa fans questioned recent comments made by the likes of Staley and LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.
While Brink, Clark, Reese and UConn’s Paige Bueckers will enter the Battle Royale of March Madness next month, likely ramping up competitive spirits, they also represent the potential future of Team USA basketball. Clark could make the 2024 Olympics roster, and the others could soon break into the Stars and Stripes roster picture, too.
Cameron Brink is a defensive force on the interior. ( Image: Getty Images)On her Team USA ambitions, Brink told NBC last year: “Gosh, it’s been a dream of mine ever since I started really playing basketball. To be able to represent your country on that big of a stage is just such an honor.
“I think it’s reasonable for me to think that I could do that (play in the Olympics one day). So if I go to enough tournaments, get enough points, and continue to be invested in the sport then I think it’s possibility. It’s kind of crazy to wrap my mind around but I think I can shoot for it and I can make it happen if I work hard enough.”
Brink is a master of the low post who could perfectly complement Clark on the international stage in the years to come. She has a soft touch, shooting over 91 percent from the free-throw line, but makes her greatest impact by imposing her will near the basket. The 6-foot-4 player hits almost 60 percent of her shots inside the arc.
Stanford is ranked No. 3 in the latest top-25 poll. The team has effectively navigated the challenging Pac-12 thus far, and Brink has notched a double-double in five of her past six outings.
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