Flau’jae Johnson ended her rookie WNBA season on a team that finished last. Weeks later, she was in El Salvador in a Team USA jersey, playing a game she had never played for her country. 3×3 means three players a side, a short clock, and nowhere to hide. Her debut drew attention fast, and one reaction came from a place she may not have expected.

Michelle Bain-Brink, the mother of Cameron Brink, liked the Team USA Instagram post that featured Johnson’s debut. 

Brink, the former Stanford star and the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, was not at the tournament. Her mom noticed anyway.

Bain-Brink is no stranger to Instagram. She played college basketball at Virginia Tech, and she often reposts and comments on posts about her daughter and others. She has also stood up for her daughter online. When a fan mocked an outfit Cameron wore at All-Star Weekend, her mom replied, “Don’t look, creep.”

Johnson came in after a busy year. The Valkyries picked her eighth in the 2026 draft and traded her to the Seattle Storm the same night. She started all 42 games she played and averaged 14.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

She became the first player in WNBA history with 600 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 50 steals and 28 blocks in a rookie year. 

She made the All-Rookie team with Sydney Taylor, who joined her in El Salvador. She also owns a stake in Unrivaled, a women’s 3×3 league.

Johnson joined Taylor, Aziaha James, and Aerial Powers, with Christina Batastini as coach. Team USA, the defending champion, beat Colombia 21-7 and the Cayman Islands 21-4. It then beat Paraguay 21-18 and Cuba 21-17. Canada won the last game 21-12.

In 3×3, shots inside the arc are worth one point, and shots beyond it are worth two. Johnson’s scoring was low, but her stat lines show more. Against Paraguay, she went 0-for-5 and grabbed three rebounds. Against Cuba, she scored three points, handed out four assists and grabbed six rebounds. 

Against Canada, she scored four points, making two shots inside the arc and both free throws. In those three games, she totaled seven points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Two Moms, One Instagram Habit

Johnson’s mother, Kia Brooks, who is also her manager, uses Instagram the same way. When Johnson made the AmeriCup trials group last year, Brooks wrote, “Look at our girl!!” She also cheered the 2025 team on before the gold-medal game against Brazil. Both moms are loud supporters, and both are easy to find in the comments.

Each also cheers for players outside her own family. Brooks wrote “Let’s Geaux MK” on a post about LSU’s Mikaylah Williams and told Rickea Jackson “Get it boo” under her photos. She also praised a team photo from LSU assistant coach Seimone Augustus. Bain-Brink laughed at a clip of Steph Curry being guarded in a playoff series. She also called Kevin Hart the king of “short kings” after his All-Star Weekend moment with her daughter.

Both have also stepped in for their daughters. Bain-Brink answered the fan who mocked her daughter’s outfit. After LSU lost to South Carolina in February, Brooks went live on Instagram and argued that Johnson had already made it off the court. She said South Carolina had beaten LSU, not Johnson. Some fans criticized the rant. 

For two moms who speak up this often, one like on the other’s daughter’s post fits the habit.