SPOKANE, Wash. — It was supposed to be a redemption game. 
And while Stanford indeed did get its revenge, beating Texas 59-50 to punch a ticket to its second consecutive Final Four, the story became more about a passing of the defensive torch. 
For the last few years, guard Anna Wilson has been Stanford’s defensive stopper, a wiry 5-foot-9 bundle of annoyance who takes pride in making other players take, and usually miss, uncomfortable shots. She has built a reputation as a lockdown perimeter defender who gives opponents and teammates alike nightmares. 
“I mean, you don’t want her to defend you,” said Stanford guard Lexie Hull, before she scored a game-high 20 points Sunday night. “I don’t want her defending me in practice. I don’t think anyone does.”
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So when Texas freshman Rori Harmon hung 21 on Wilson & Co. in November and the Longhorns stole a 61-56 upset win in Maples, it turned heads. Wilson, presumably, would want revenge this time around. 
But instead of a stellar defensive performance from Wilson on Sunday in Spokane Arena, it was time for the underclassman to shine. And for the next few years, the “I don’t want her to guard me” sentiment will likely be applied to sophomore forward Cameron Brink. 
In a game full of stars, it was Brink who shined brightest. The 6-foot-5 shot-blocking sensation tied a career-high Sunday night with six swats, and added a steal for good measure.
“She’s really special, and real smart,” said Texas coach Vic Schaefer. “She has a good awareness about her of what’s going on and when she needs to help and when she doesn’t.”
A sampling of Brink’s dominance midway through the second half when Stanford, nursing a 40-37 lead, switched to a zone: 
3:41 to play in the third quarter: Brink block
1:38 in the third: Brink block
1:06 in the third: Brink block
:38 in the third: Brink steal 
Then, Brink blocked two more shots early in the fourth quarter. 
After Brink’s stellar stretch, Stanford was still clinging to just a three-point lead, 45-42. But the fact that Texas came up empty on all those possessions proved to be the difference in a tight, grinder of a game where it took a lot of effort to get any buckets. 
“I call them your forgiveness player,” Schaefer said of Brink. “When you have that person back there, it just kind of changes your team. It allows your team to play really aggressive.” 
“I love blocking shots,” said a subdued Brink, who was almost embarrassed to be getting attention postgame. She admitted she didn’t know just how spectacular she was during that stretch, but said she’s always happy to contribute: “I love defense so, yeah, it was fun.” 
Brink has always been good at blocking shots, but not always good at picking her spots. The 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Brink has long struggled with foul trouble. Because of Stanford’s depth, she is pulled almost every time she picks up two fouls in the first half, and has spent long stretches of big games on the bench. Before Texas Part II, she said “ I think I’ve kind of been better about fouling” adding that it is “definitely always a focus for me.” 
Sunday night, it was clear Brink was zeroed in on staying on the floor. Asked to compare her play Sunday (10 points, six rebounds, six blocks, one steal and one assist) with her play in November (seven points, five rebounds, three blocks, one steal and no assists), Schaefer said Brink is “much better and much improved.” 
VanDerveer called her “a difference maker.”
Stanford is often praised for its precise, backdoor-cutting offense, which slices and dices defenses until it gets a wide-open layup. But the Cardinal is not talked about enough defensively, where its length has the ability to bother opponents on every single shot (and aid in getting almost every defensive rebound). 
Another crucial piece of that stretch when Brink went off and Stanford went to its zone: Stanford sent Wilson to the bench and went big with Brink, post Fran Belibi (6-foot-1) and guards Hannah Jump (6 feet), Lexie Hull (6-foot-1) and Lacie Hull (6-foot-1). Haley Jones (6-foot-1) was also in the mix. 
That lineup meant Stanford also got longer defensively, and that length and size clearly frustrated the Longhorns. Texas finished with just 16 points in the paint (Stanford had 24) and Texas forward Lauren Ebo went 0-of-6 from the field. 
“Obviously the whole team is huge,” Ebo said. “Each shot is not going to be easy. Credit to them for their natural gift of size.” 
Wilson, who played 24 minutes Sunday, did a fine job on Harmon. The Texas freshman scored 14, but it took her 18 shots to get there. The Hull sisters took turns guarding Harmon, too, using their height and length to tower over the 5-foot-6 dynamo. But Wilson can do better defensively, and she knows that.
In Minneapolis, where Stanford will go for its second consecutive title, and the fourth of VanDerveer’s career, defense will again play an important role. But this time around, Stanford will have two bonafide defensive stars, both of whom could be considered veterans by now. 
Now imagine a game where Wilson is suffocating opposing guards on the perimeter and Brink is terrorizing posts in the paint. 
That sounds miserable for everyone — except, of course, the Cardinal. 

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