Over her career, Dearica Hamby has had to play pretty much every role imaginable. Most notably, she was the Sixth Woman of the Year on the Las Vegas Aces’ 2022 title team before being asked to be the best player for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024. Despite playing on a young Los Angeles Sparks roster that lost its top draft pick to an ACL tear, Hamby managed to establish herself as an All-Star and one of the top players in the league in the 2024 season.
- Elaine Blum
FanSIded Site Expert
Hamby’s third All-Star selection came on the back of a career year. The 31-year-old veteran averaged 17.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She exceeded her previous highest scoring average by over four points per game and improved her rebounding average by almost four rebounds per game compared to the 2023 season.
Hamby had an excellent season while the Sparks struggled. Her individual talent should not change much, and fans should expect big things from her again. What has changed, however, is the talent on the Sparks’ roster. The Sparks added All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the roster, Rickea Jackson and Rae Burrell look ready for true breakout seasons, and Cameron Brink is expected to return to the court sometime during the season. Hamby and the Sparks could be one of the surprise teams in the 2025 season.