Cameron Brink Stats Tonight: Rookie center shrugs off subpar first half in solid WNBA Preseason Debut (May 5)

LA Sparks' Rookie Cameron Brink made her WNBA preseason debut against the Seattle Storm on Saturday in Alberta, Canada. Despite early struggles, she shrugged off her subpar first-half performance and ended the night with 11 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes on the floor.

The No. 2 pick in this year's WNBA draft scored her first basket midway into the opening quarter, finding the net in the lane off a nifty pass from Dearica Hamby.

Cameron Brink hit her first WNBA three early in the third quarter just as she showed her defensive prowess with a solid block on the Storm's Jade Melbourne in the second half.

While she held her own in her debut league outing, she had her struggles and found herself giving way to the veterans as the game progressed. LA won with the final score of 84-79.

Hamby led the way for the Sparks in the win, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists in just 16 minutes of play. Lexie Brown and rookie Rickea Johnson each contributed 10 points to the victory.

Hometown hero Kia Nurse, a member of the Canadian women's national team, finished with 9 points, all from beyond the arc, along with three rebounds and two assists.

The team's next game is on May 9, their final preseason matchup against the Phoenix Mercury.

Cameron Brink appreciates Dearica Hamby's support in rookie year

Cameron Brink is still learning the ropes in the WNBA and has found invaluable support from her veteran LA Sparks teammate, Dearica Hamby.

Selected second overall in this year's WNBA rookie draft, the 22-year-old former Stanford standout acknowledges that she has been following Hamby's example in navigating the early stages of her WNBA journey.

She spoke of her veteran teammate (via The Sporting Tribune):

"She's like my second mom already. ... She has given me a lot of advice. One is not let anyone see me cry. She also said just enjoy it and lean on your vets."

Teaming up with Hamby, Cameron Brink aims to help the LA Sparks improve on their ninth-place standing in the last WNBA season, where they ended with a 17-23 record. Their tandem got off to a good start as they led the way in LA's victory. Now, the 6-foot-4 rookie is being counted on to fortify the Sparks' frontcourt on both ends.