The WNBA championship hopes of the LA Sparks got a huge boost with the arrival of the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Brink. The 22-year-old brings with her a breath of fresh air and has the credentials to revolutionize the style of play of the franchise. However, the locker room has another noteworthy name whose veteran skills can prove to be a vital factor in their campaign. The 6 ft 3 in forward Dearica Hamby.

The 30-year-old has been the prolific figure for the 3x WNBA champions this time around. Given her experience of 10 seasons in the league, Hamby knows a thing or two about being a champion as she has lifted the coveted title in 2022. Anyhow, that is not the only defining moment in the life of the current No.5 of the LA Sparks. As it turns out, her journey from being a freshman in college to a “Solidified Vet” in the WNBA has seen a lot of ups and downs.

What was college life like for Dearica Hamby?

Hamby was among the few chosen ones who spent their entire 4 seasons in a single program. As an essential part of Wake Forest, she had a quiet freshman and sophomore campaign with her scoring average reaching as high as 22.0 points in each contest.

Nonetheless, she decided to turn things around as a junior by delivering the best single seasons in the history of the Demon Deacons. Moreover, her double-double average of 22 points and 11 rebounds per game made her the first Wake Forrest athlete to lead the ACC charts in both categories. Consequently, she made it to the First-team All-ACC by the end of the season.

Then, she carried the momentum in her senior year by scoring a total of 650 points and 341 rebounds in her 32 appearances. This garnered her a double-double average for the second year in a row. Additionally, her scoring average of 20.3 points was the most in the ACC and her rebounding rate of 10.7 rebounds became the second highest in the conference. As a result, the 2015 WNBA drafts fetched her a 6th spot and Hamby became a part of the San Antonio Stars which later came to be known as the Las Vegas Aces.

Hamby’s ascent to the professional world

As a rookie, Hamby was given a chance to showcase her talent in 31 games in the 2015 season. However, most of the time, she wasn’t in the starting line-up and had to contribute coming off the bench. This only amounted to a menial scoring average of 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in each fixture. The struggle continued for the following 3 seasons until in 2019, the breakthrough year that she had been waiting for finally arrived.

Apparently, the 11 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game wasn’t the only accomplishment of the season. Hamby also managed to tie the WNBA record for the highest double-doubles by an off-the-bench reserve player. The headlining moment of that year came in the 2019 WNBA Playoffs game against the Chicago Sky. With just 6.5 seconds remaining and the Aces trailing by 2 points, Hamby intercepted a pass from Courtney Vandersloot towards Diamond DeShields. After this, she connected a breathtaking three-pointer that not only got Las Vegas the win but also was termed “the shot of the year” by the WNBA website.

Following this, she elevated her game a bit and ended the 2020 season averaging 13 points. This was along with grabbing 7.1 rebounds and dishing out 2.7 assists as well. Therefore, for the second consecutive year, Dearica Hamby was honored with the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year accolade. She continued the grind for two more years until in 2022, she realized the moment that every pro dreams about.

The championship-winning campaign and the fallout

In June 2022, the Aces showed faith in Dearica Hamby’s abilities and offered her a multi-year contract extension. This move had positive results as she became an integral part of the team’s championship run in the 2022 edition of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. That was not all for Hamby with the final role in the dice coming just a few months later. Seemingly, the Aces defeated the third seed Connecticut Sun and grabbed the World Champion status for the very first time.

Sadly, her association with the franchise ended on a sour note soon after that. In September 2023, Dearica Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks. She was part of a deal that involved a 2024 WNBA Draft first-round pick, the rights of Amanda Zahui B., and a 2024 WNBA Draft 2nd round pick. Later, she registered a federal discrimination complaint against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces on the grounds that her pregnancy became the reason for her trade. Further, her accusations also included negligence in the investigation conducted by the league.

There is no denying that the Sparks have a great chance of utilizing the talents of Dearica Hamby. Her experience and understanding of the game are huge assets for the franchise. It will be interesting to see what she can offer them this time around.

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