Dearica Hamby is having a standout season in her 10th year in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks, despite the team’s struggles overall. The Sparks are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference and the 10th seed in the league with a 6-18 record, just slightly better than the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings who are both 6-19.
In her second season with the Sparks, Hamby is putting up career-high numbers, averaging 19.2 points on .520/.404/.612 shooting splits, along with 10.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She has also made her first All-Star appearance with Los Angeles this summer.
Off the court, Hamby has faced challenges in recent seasons. She filed a federal lawsuit against her former team, the Las Vegas Aces, and the WNBA, accusing them of withholding team benefits and criticizing her commitment when they discovered she was pregnant.
The dispute led to her being traded to the Sparks in exchange for a second-round pick and the rights to another player. Hamby’s lawsuit alleges that promises made to her, including fully-paid private school tuition and team-provided housing, were not honored by the Aces following their championship victory in 2022.
After the trade, Hamby took to Instagram to express her disappointment with how the situation was handled, highlighting accusations of being lied to, bullied, and discriminated against by the Aces.
Despite the off-court challenges, Hamby continues to excel on the basketball court for the Sparks in what has been a tumultuous season for the team.
