Cameron Brink wins Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award
Senior forward Cameron Brink was awarded the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Wednesday. The award is given to the most outstanding defensive player in women’s college basketball. Brink’s honor is the first for Stanford since the award was first given out in 2018.
The 6-foot-4 forward is no stranger to breaking records. Her 127 blocks as a senior broke her own Stanford record, 118 set last year, and are the third-most in Pac-12 history. She was also the first college player with 500 points, 300 rebounds and 100 blocks in back-to-back seasons since UConn’s Breanna Stewart in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Brink’s 424 blocks are the 14th most in NCAA history, and her national-best 3.74 blocks per game average this season were the most by a major conference player since 2020-21.
In her senior season, Brink finished with a player efficiency rating (PER) of 45.75, the best mark for a major conference player since 2018-19.
“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.”
This award is one of many that Brink has attained in her legendary time on the Stanford women’s basketball team. Brink will enter the 2024 WNBA draft, where she is projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in several mock drafts.
The post Cameron Brink wins Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award appeared first on The Stanford Daily.