Cameron Brink Ended Her College Basketball Career the Same Way She Started: With a Huge Win

The Stanford star was recently named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.

Cameron Brink / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Brink and her Stanford teammates weren’t able to pull off a 2024 NCAA Championship title. A 77-67 loss to N.C. State in the Sweet 16 brought an end to their post-season run and Brink’s hopes of another championship ring.

During her freshman season at Stanford, the Oregon native took home the title for the first and only time throughout her collegiate career. It was 2021, and college athletics were navigating pandemic protocols. The win was the exclamation point on what was a hard season, Brink told SI Swimsuit in an interview last fall.

The star athlete will be foregoing her fifth year of eligibility (her COVID year) to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft. She won’t have another shot at a second NCAA title and another ring, but Brink is ready for the next step and is projected to be a top pick in this year’s draft.

But she didn’t end her college career on a low note by any means. Though her team couldn’t make it to the championship game, they had a decent post-season run. And from a personal perspective, Brink added a huge accolade to her resume: the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

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With a total of 127 blocks, the athlete topped the charts for women’s NCAA basketball players this season.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year,” Brink said in a press release. “It may be an individual award, but it’s a testament to all the people who have poured into me, not only this season, but throughout my career at Stanford—my family, coaches, teammates and friends. I wouldn’t be where I am without them and am extremely grateful for all their love and support.”

Now, all that remains to be seen is where the star defender will end up. The 2024 WNBA Draft will take place on Monday, April 15.