LA Sparks standout Cameron Brink announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend on Monday. But later that day, she drew reactions for reposting a photo of her alongside controversial former WNBA standout Liz Cambage on her Instagram story.
Cambage posted a picture of herself alongside Brink, who is recovering from a season-ending injury. The photo included Cambage’s caption calling Brink her “baby.”
The photo began circulating on social media for several reasons as fans debated whether the photo was indicative of a potential WNBA return for Cambage, who parted ways with the LA Sparks in 2022 before heading to play overseas full-time.
At the same time, others took aim at Cameron Brink for taking a photo with Cambage, who was accused of using racial slurs during a pre-Olympic scrimmage against Nigeria in 2021.
Given Cambage’s controversial past, the photo sparked criticism of Cameron Brink.
“She has the white privilege yall think the corn kid has. Can you imagine the threads and need for a public statement if she took pictures with a player that called Nigerian players racial slurs,” one wrote.
“I will never forget her getting her shit rocked in that one game after doing dirty shit lmao,” another wrote.
“Love Cameron but she is the definition of privilege, her entire background screams privilege and you spoke nothing but facts,” one wrote.
Others shot down any talk of a Brink-Liz Cambage frontcourt duo potentially playing together with the LA Sparks:
“Liz cambage stumbled through half a season w/ LA before the contract divorce she is NOT welcome back here,” one wrote.
“They not letting Liz back in LA,” another added.
Looking at Liz Cambage’s Olympic controversy and departure from the WNBA amid Cameron Brink photo
After being drafted as the second pick in 2011 by the Tulsa Shock, Liz Cambage made it clear that she wasn’t interested in playing for the franchise. Despite that, she suited up for a season; however, the following year, she decided she wouldn’t rejoin the team after the Olympics.
After a year off, Cambage returned to the team for the 2013 season, before then spending the next five years playing internationally with teams in China and Australia.
After a five-year hiatus, Cambage reportedly signed a multi-year deal with the Dallas Wings heading into the 2018 season. After just one season, however, Cambage requested a trade, ultimately landing with the Las Vegas Aces for the 2019 season.
After sitting out the 2020 COVID-19 season due to pre-existing conditions that put her at risk, Cambage returned to the Aces for the 2021 season, playing in 25 regular season games.
During the league’s Olympic break, however, Cambage, who was on Team Australia, was involved in an altercation during a pre-Olympic scrimmage. Her teammates and members of the Nigerian team said she allegedly used racial slurs, referring to the Nigerian players as monkeys, and told them to go back to their third-world country, resulting in one Nigerian player punching her.
Then, after returning to the WNBA, Cambage wound up requesting a release from the Sparks just months after signing a contract with the team.
Since then, she hasn’t played in the WNBA and has continued to play internationally.