Cameron Brink reiterates stance on “privilege” despite Jason Whitlock backlash: “I will say that over and over again”

LA Sparks rookie Cameron Brink acknowledged her “privilege” as a white player in the WNBA in a recent interview. However, she said she is committed to ensuring equal exposure for all WNBA players, regardless of race.

In an interview with For The Win published on Oct. 1, Brink said that WNBA players who share her features—being white, with blonde hair and blue eyes—are often perceived as more marketable than others.

However, she believes her privilege means she carries the responsibility to help the WNBA promote a more balanced representation of its players.

“I will say that over and over again: I acknowledge my privilege and for marketing, I acknowledge the privilege of being conventionally white, blonde hair, blue-eyed,” she said.

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“But there’s just so many other people in this league who quite frankly are, you know, putting up better numbers than me that aren’t injured right now, like me, that deserve the same kind of exposure in the market to other people.”

Cameron Brink emphasized the need for fairness in how athletes are valued, noting how their perceived worth can often be influenced by their appearance and presentation.

“This is a societal thing. So, who knows if it ever changes?”

As Brink previously discussed her racial privileges in a June interview with Uproxx, she faced criticism from all quarters, including from sportscaster Jason Whitlock, who claimed that she was “programmed into a level of stupidity.”

“She’s been programmed by social media to have shame for her whiteness,” Whitlock said. “This woman bending over backwards to kiss the butt of Black women has now just taken a dump on Black women.”

According to a 2023 statistic from Statista, 63.8% of WNBA players are Black or African American, while 19.1% are white.

Recently, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert faced backlash for saying the league was benefiting from the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, pointing to the fact that one is white and the other is Black.

The league has been called out, including by its players’ association, to address toxic behavior among fans, and the commissioner has been urged to confront the racism, misogyny and harassment experienced by WNBA players.

Cameron Brink advocates for support of ‘all types of players’

In the interview with Uproxx which drew criticism from Whitlock, Cameron Brink expressed her commitment to making the WNBA more “iconic” by promoting inclusivity.

“I will not rest until the W is even more iconic than it is now,” she said.

She added that part of this goal is to help expand the fan base to support all types of players.

“I will acknowledge there’s a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That’s not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine,” she said.

“Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns. I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look.”

Cameron Brink is part of an electrifying 2024 rookie class that has propelled the WNBA to new viewership heights alongside Clark and Reese. Unfortunately, her rookie season was cut short due to an ACL injury.