"Cameron Brink speaks Japanese?"; "First Kawhi now Othani" - Fans curious about Shohei Ohtani's joke that cracked up 22-year-old WNBA star
There's a new girl in LA, and her name is Cameron Brink. After leading Stanford to the NCAA championship in 2021, Brink has taken her talents to the WNBA, where she was selected second overall by the LA Sparks in this year's draft class.
The new LA rookie met up with many players associated with LA-based franchises, including Clippers star Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. On Monday, she met Ohtani ahead of the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game.
The two shared a laugh. Ohtani also mentioned his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, who is a former basketball player, wanting to meet Brink, which left the WNBA rookie gushing.
Seeing them laugh, one fan wondered if Brink, 22, knows Japanese:
"Cameron Brink speaks Japanese?" one fan wrote.
In a podcast with Paul George earlier this week, Brink mentioned making Kawhi Leonard laugh, and the fan took that context here:
"Ohtani got Cameron laughing like she had Kawhi," another quipped.
"First Kawhi now Othani, I’m cryin bro 😭😭😭," another posted.
A few also mentioned Ohtani telling Brink about how the whole gambling scandal played out, which burst a laugh out of Brink:
"And then I told them, "I had no idea he was betting with my account," and they believed me!!!" one wrote.
"Oh so now all of a sudden Ohtani doesn’t need an interpreter," one fan added.
Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson throw first pitch at Dodgers game
The LA Sparks also selected Rickea Jackson as their fourth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Both Cameron Brink and Jackson were in attendance at the Dodger Stadium, where they were invited to throw the first pitch on Monday.
While their pitches weren't strikes, at least they didn't fall short of the plate.
Moreover, both Cameron Brink and Shohei Ohtani share sneaker deals with New Balance. Ohtani serves as their brand ambassador, while Brink is their face in the women's basketball world.
Ohtani has already proven himself to be one of the best players to grace the diamond, while Brink hopes to achieve something extraordinary in the WNBA. But one thing is for sure: LA will be seeing their talents for at least a few years.