She is an Olympic medalist, WNBA champion, and more of all a mother of two. In the January edition of ‘LA Parents’, Dearica Hamby was pictured with her little buckets of sunshine. Her seven-year-old princess Amaya was holding a black-and-gold Jordan “Legacy” ball up like a trophy, while her mother had the 22-month-old Legend in her arms. An overwhelmingly cute picture showcasing her balance between work and motherhood. And her recent Instagram reel, once again, put a spotlight on it. She was at it again, being the best mother possible, and that too just hours before the LA Sparks are set to open their training camp.

Playing Megan Thee Stallion and Yuki Chiba’s ‘Mamushi’ song in the background, the LA Sparks star hyped up her oldest one, Amaya. Reason? Simple – a proud athletic mother encouraging her daughter’s athletic game. But wait, it’s not basketball.

Yes, Amaya was playing football – maybe inspired by the ongoing NFL draft, she also wanted to showcase her skills on the football field. The shared video showed Amaya sprinting across the field. Dearica captioned the video ‘Surprised Amaya, she went crazy’ with a flight emoji pointing to her speed on the green ground. And of course there was loads of love – just obvious with the two other emojis.

But is Dearica ever worried about Amaya not choosing basketball? Not at all. “She’s into tennis, though. That’s her thing.” Dearica once explained Amaya’s multi-sport interests. “She trains two to four times a week and really has picked it up. She hasn’t asked to play basketball. I think she kind of likes the fun side of Mommy being a basketball player and doesn’t want to change that.” But that is not the only thing Mommy Dearica does. She encourages Amaya with actions. Like a birthday surprise.

Hamby surprised her daughter for her eighth birthday, earlier this February, by taking her to play tennis with star Coco Gauff. “My daughter kinda just blacked out when she met her. I knew it was going to happen.” The US Open winner is Amaya’s favourite tennis star. “She’s done that with her and Sabrina. Now, she thinks her and Coco are best friends.” Simple and innocent love from Amaya. And after this, Hamby is on a mission for Amaya’s 10th birthday, also.

As the birthday girl expressed her desire to meet pop star Taylor Swift, a mom in Dearica started planning the birthday. “Now, I have to work on Taylor Swift. Maybe on her 10th birthday I can make something happen,” Hamby had said. “That’s next on my mommy list. If I can do that, then she’s done. She gets no more birthdays out of me.”

But Hamby does her work, balancing her basketball career, Amaya’s school, and two-year-old Legend. And it’s working nicely, even though it must get hectic. “Off-season is a bit more predictable. We wake up, and I get Amaya ready [for school], we have breakfast, Legend and I drop off Amaya at school. Sometimes, I’ll take Legend to a class because he’s not in daycare, and between that and 3 p.m. (which is when I pick Amaya up), I work out. If I can’t get a workout in, then I usually do it at night and bring the kids with me.” Dearica Hamby outlined her daily schedule.

“During the season, my mom is usually with me and helping out with the kids — and my sister does as well.” The forward added. “They’ve both travelled on the road with me. It’s a blessing to be able to have family watch your kids” Amaya also accompanies Dearica to games and even practice sessions. She has a special bond with Dearica’s teammates, and it helps the 10-year veteran. They take care of Dearica, play with her, and keep her engaged as Hamby practices for the games. The former sixth-overall pick will be playing her third season with the LA Sparks. And the team is ready to challenge for the title.

Dearica Hamby is suiting up for the LA Sparks in the 2025 WNBA Season.

Dearica Hamby, the Los Angeles Sparks’ cornerstone forward, is gearing up for the 2025 WNBA season with a renewed sense of purpose, a revamped roster, and a personal mission to lead her team back to the postseason. Hamby, a 2022 WNBA champion and three-time All-Star, has been a symbol of sturdiness, both on and off the court, since joining the Sparks in 2023 after a controversial trade from the Las Vegas Aces. “I just think it’s really amazing how you have gone through everything you’ve gone through,” teammate Cameron Brink told Hamby earlier in January this season. “And you’ve take the time to just really make me feel seen, and make me feel okay“. So, we have enough reason to believe how welcoming she will make all the rookies feel.

Last season, Hamby led the Sparks with a career-high 17.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, earning her a contract extension through 2025. She also became the first WNBA player to record seven consecutive games with at least 17 points and 9 rebounds. Yet, the Sparks finished a dismal 8-32, the league’s worst record, prompting a coaching change to Lynne Roberts. But, this year, she wants to make sure that is not the case and she is not letting anyone get to her. After a loss in the Unrivaled League, she took to X, calling out haters: “Yall really get on this app and puff yall chest out…. Bffr 😒”.

Another silver lining this year is the reunion of Hamby and her former Aces teammate Kelsey Plum. Even Brink believes that the team is a Dark Horse contender and will surprise people.