Cameron Brink Joins Unrivaled, Secures First Wildcard Spot

Unrivaled, the groundbreaking women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has announced Los Angeles Sparks standout Cameron Brink as its newest athlete. The league, set to tip off in Miami in January 2025, shared the news on social media today.

Despite being sidelined for the inaugural season due to injury, Brink has signed a multi-year deal with the Lunar Owls, who are investing in her promising future.

Brink, 22, a star for the LA Sparks during her rookie season in the WNBA and Stanford University alum, is the newest player to join Unrivaled, the new offseason women's league that tips off next month in Miami.

Brink signed a multi-year deal with the Lunar Owls, despite her injury sidelining her for the inaugural season. She will join the Lunar Owls in preseason training to continue working on her rehab and will take part in marketing and other promotional opportunities throughout the season.

Brink joins a talented roster of players for the inaugural season of Unrivaled, including Stewart, Collier, Kate Martin, Brittney Griner, Dearica Hamby, Jackie Young, Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, Alyssa Thomas and many others.

When Unrivaled was just beginning the journey to its inaugural season, Brink chatted with someone in the family about the opportunity. And this family member happens to be a well known and loved NBA star!

"When the league was just forming, we did chat about it - and yeah, I think Steph is in full support of it. He thinks it's a great idea and he knows I love the round three basketball," Brink told PEOPLE about her conversation with her godbrother, Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry.

"It's just a really great way to train in a different way and build up your skill, not playing five-on-five. It's just going to be completely different and I think it's really going to aid people with their skills, everything. So yeah, [Curry] thinks it's a really cool thing."

Curry's and Brink's parents formed a friendship way before the two were even born. The Brinks became godparents to the Curry children, and the Curry's became Brink's godparents.

While Brink went to Curry for advice, she said she "had no hesitations" about joining Unrivaled.

"It was honestly a really easy yes," she told PEOPLE. "[I'm] just honored that they offered me a spot and an opportunity. I'm really excited and super grateful."

The new offseason women's league, started by Stewart and Collier, will change how WNBA players spend their offseason. The games will be held in Miami, with the first game scheduled for January 17, 2025.

This new league is not meant to compete with the WNBA, but rather, give players an option to continue playing in the states instead of overseas.

"It's the ability for players to stay home. To be in a market like Miami where we can just be the buzz and create that with the best WNBA players," Stewart told ESPN in 2023 as the league was being formed. "We can't keep fighting [the WNBA's prioritization rule]. It is a rule that takes away our choices, which should never be a thing, especially as women, but it's still a rule."

Collier shared her own personal experience of playing overseas during the WNBA's offseason and how it impacted her decision to help start Unrivaled.

"I think it just really opened my eyes even more to the problem that we have going overseas," she said. "It's really hard to be away from family for so long, but unfortunately, it's like really the only option we have if we wanna make money in the offseason, we want to continue to grow our game, and it just leaves a huge hole marketing wise, so we just saw a lot of issues that we wanted to try to find a solution for."

The excitement for Unrivaled's inaugural season has been building and major brands have been hopping on board.

A recent press release obtained by The Blast shared that the official ball of Unrivaled is Wilson's EVO NXT basketball. The ball is highlighted by the league's signature blue and official logo.

Wilson's partnership with the league demonstrates their commitment to supporting women's basketball, as they currently serve as the presenting sponsor of multiple youth tournaments, Women's March Madness, and the WNBA.

"Investing in the female athlete has transformed Wilson's business, and we are committed to continuing empowering players on and off the court," David Picioski, Head of Global Brand Partnerships and Collaborations at Wilson said. "Since Unrivaled is a player-owned league, it was the perfect next step for Wilson to get involved and bring innovative products to athletes who know and love our brand. We've been in the women's basketball game for decades, at all levels, and we are always excited for the continued growth we see."

Also partnering with Unrivaled recently is Under Armour.

"Under Armour is all about creating products that help athletes perform at their best, and we couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Unrivaled to outfit some of the best women's basketball players in the world as they compete on this new stage," Sean Eggert, Under Armour's Senior Vice President of Global Sports Marketing said, according to a press release.

The league recently announced the closure of its oversubscribed Series A investment round led by the Berman Family, securing $28 million in funding.

According to a press release obtained by The Blast, "This round includes investments from: 8-time NBA All-Star and NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and Build Your Legacy Ventures; Co-Owner/CEO of Boston Globe Media and Partner at Fenway Sports Group Linda Henry; Avenue Sports Fund and Marc Lasry; 23-Time Gold Medalist, World Champion, and Mental Health Advocate Michael Phelps and Nicole Phelps, President of Michael Phelps Foundation and Mental Health Advocate; 3-time NCAA Champion Head Coach for South Carolina Women's Basketball Dawn Staley; Warner Bros. Discovery; Sophomore Guard at USC JuJu Watkins, among others."

"As women’s sports continue to surge in popularity and impact, we’re inspired by the growing momentum around Unrivaled and grateful for the strong support from our investors," said Unrivaled President Alex Bazzell. "Our players haven’t even taken the court yet and the foundation we are building with our partners unites unparalleled expertise, strategic insight, and an incredible product. Together, we’re setting the stage for Unrivaled for years to come."