Stanford star Brink declaring for WNBA draft

Stanford Cardinal star Cameron Brink has announced that she will leave college for the WNBA after this season, and she is expected to be a top-3 pick.

ESPN's latest mock draft has Brink, one of the best two-way players and most dominant stars in the country, going No. 2 to the Los Angeles Sparks.

The 6-foot-4 senior was eligible to return for a fifth season due to the "freebie" year of eligibility granted to collegiate athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Although I'm excited for that next chapter, we still have unfinished business and so much to accomplish in my final season at Stanford," Brink posted on social media.

A soon-to-be three-time All-American, Brink was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year last week and was a critical part of Stanford's national championship run in 2021, her freshman year, also helping the Cardinal make the Final Four in 2022. She was voted by media as Pac-12 player of the year as a sophomore.

The player from Beaverton, Oregon, won six Pac-12 championships (regular-season and tournament titles combined) during her time under Tara VanDerveer, who in January became the winningest coach in college basketball history.

"Cam has had an exceptional college career and fully embraced what it means to be a Stanford student-athlete during her time on The Farm," VanDerveer said in a statement. "She worked hard to improve each and every year, helped us win a national championship, and has a lengthy list of very well-deserved awards and accomplishments. Simply put, she'll go down as one of the best in program history."

Brink has also set herself apart on the defensive end, as she's been tabbed Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year three times and last year earned the WBCA award for national defensive player of the year. Her success extends to USA Basketball, where she has won three gold medals and the MVP award at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Cup.

Despite mixed expectations for the Cardinal heading into this season, Brink has played at a first-team All-American level, averaging career highs of 17.8 points per game (on 51.2% shooting from the field), as well as 11.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Her senior year leap propelled the Cardinal as they clinched the regular-season conference title and advanced to the tournament championship game.

Over the next month Brink will look to guide the Cardinal as they rebound from Sunday's championship loss to the USC Trojans and aim for a Final Four spot in Cleveland. Stanford is a projected No. 1 seed in this year's NCAA tournament.

"I just kind of sat down the girls, and I was like, 'We tried our best,'" Brink said after the game. "I mean, it's not fun to lose. It sucks, and it sucks that it's the last Pac-12 game ever, because it's such a great conference. I think we're just going to use this, we learn from it and we go into March."