Shohei Ohtani wasn’t the only one in his family excited to meet Cameron Brink. His wife also wants to meet the Sparks rookie.
Brink was able to talk to Ohtani before she and teammate Rickea Jackson threw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Monday’s Dodgers-Arizona Diamondbacks game at Dodger Stadium. She got advice from the LA superstar.
“He just said, ‘Just do it, you’ll be fine,’” Brink said during a pregame interview that was shown live on the DodgerVision screen in the stadium.
This was a highlight for Brink meeting fellow New Balance athlete Ohtani For the first time.
“You are tall,” the Japanese player said to Brink.
“Who is bigger, me or you?” the former Stanford star asked.
“You!” Ohtani laughed.
(They are both listed at 6 feet).
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Ohtani also told Brink that his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional Japanese basketball player, wanted to meet her. From 2019 to 2023, the 6-foot-2 Tanaka played in the Women’s Japan Basketball League. She also represented her home country at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championships.
“I just think he’s great,” Brink told Spectrum SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson during a pregame interview. “I know his wife played basketball too, so I love them. I just love everything he stands for.”
Leading up to their ceremonial first pitches, it was noted that Brink had been seen warming up her throwing arm, while Jackson had not.
“Yeah, I don’t need to warm up,” Jackson said, laughing. “I’m kidding.”
Jackson ended up getting a few warm-up throws, but they may not have helped.
The new Sparks teammates — Brink was selected No. 2 overall in last month’s draft, while Jackson was selected two spots later — stood side by side on the mound and launched their pitches at the same time.
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Brink’s pitch was almost perfect. The ball went straight into the glove of Dodgers outfielder Miguel Vargas, who crouched behind and slightly to the left of the plate.
Vargas then had to quickly dodge even further left to avoid Jackson’s throw, which raced straight for his head. Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller, who was standing to Vargas’ right and the intended target of Jackson’s throw, slid forward and reached out to make an impressive catch.
Back on the mound, the Sparks teammates’ reaction to it was golden.
It was all part of a whirlwind evening for Brink and Jackson, who also met manager Dave Roberts and other players and had the honor of delivering the late Vin Scully’s famous line: “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” before the start of the game.
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Brink and Jackson will be back on the court Tuesday night when the Sparks (0-2) host the Washington Mystics (0-3) at Crypto.com Arena. Brink is averaging seven points, five rebounds and a team-high 3½ blocks in 22.5 minutes as a starter, while Jackson is averaging 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench.
“We’re two games in and all the attention and the love is overwhelming,” Brink told Watson. “So hopefully we keep that momentum going because it’s been so great.”
Jackson added: “Yeah, it was just amazing. I feel like it’s about time, you know [women’s basketball is] get the recognition. But I have a feeling it will only continue to grow. We are happy for the vets. They are the ones who deserve all this.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
