Dearica Marie Hamby (born November 6, 1993) is an American basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
 Hamby with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024 | ||||||||||||
| No. 5 – Los Angeles Sparks | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||
| League | WNBA | |||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
| Born | November 6, 1993 Marietta, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||
| Listed weight | 189 lb (86 kg) | |||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||
| High school | ||||||||||||
| College | Wake Forest (2011–2015) | |||||||||||
| WNBA draft | 2015: 1st round, 6th overall pick | |||||||||||
| Selected by the San Antonio Stars | ||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2015–present | |||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||
| 2015–2022 | San Antonio Stars / Las Vegas Aces | |||||||||||
| 2023–present | Los Angeles Sparks | |||||||||||
| 2023 | Beijing Great Wall | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Kayseri | |||||||||||
| 2025–present | Vinyl BC | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | ||||||||||||
Medals
| ||||||||||||
College career
editDuring her senior year at Wake Forest, Hamby averaged 20.3 points, the highest scoring average in the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's and 10.7 rebounds, the second highest in the conference. During her junior season, she had one of the best single-seasons in school-history. In 31 games, Hamby led the nation's top conference in both scoring (22.0) and rebounding (11.0) She would become the first Demon Deacon to lead the ACC in both categories in the same season. Hamby finished as Wake Forest's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, with 1,801 points and 1,021 rebounds.[1]
Professional career
editWNBA
editSan Antonio Stars / Las Vegas Aces (2015–2022)
editDrafted sixth overall in 2015, Hamby played for the San Antonio Stars, which became the Las Vegas Aces in 2018.
In 2019, Hamby shot an average of 11 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.97 steals per game and she tied the WNBA record for the most double-doubles by a reserve off the bench with five. Hamby was voted WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2019, almost unanimously (41 of 43 votes).[2] On the same day she received this award, in the second round, single-elimination 2019 WNBA Playoffs game against the Chicago Sky, with 6.5 seconds remaining and her team behind 92–90, Hamby made what the WNBA website termed "the shot of the year". Hamby stole a pass from Courtney Vandersloot intended for Diamond DeShields, dribbled once past half court, and threw in the game-winning basket, securing the win for the Aces.[3]
On September 20, 2020, Hamby was named Sixth Woman of the Year for the second year in a row.
Hamby signed a multi-year contract extension with the Aces on June 29, 2022.[4] Hamby, and the Aces, won the 2022 WNBA Championship.
Los Angeles Sparks (2023–present)
editOn January 21, 2023 Hamby was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks alongside a 2024 WNBA draft first-round pick in exchange for the rights of Amanda Zahui B. and a 2024 WNBA draft 2nd round pick.[5] On June 13, 2024, Hamby signed a one-year contract extension with the Sparks.[6]
Unrivaled
editOn August 12, 2024, it was announced that Hamby would appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a new women's 3x3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.[7]
National team career
editHamby played for USA Basketball for the first time at the national team training camp in 2022.[8] She played on the women's 2022 USA World Cup Qualifying Team.[8] In December 2023, she played on the 3x3 team for the first time, and they won the gold medal at the AmeriCup.[9] Hamby made the tie-breaking shot to win. She was named the tournament MVP.[10] Hamby was named, as a replacement for the injured Cameron Brink, to the United States 3x3 team for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[11] Hamby and the US team won bronze medals.[12]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Hamby won a WNBA championship |
Regular season
editStats current through end of 2024 season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | San Antonio | 31 | 16 | 17.4 | .354 | .353 | .642 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | San Antonio | 25 | 25 | 25.3 | .422 | .143 | .723 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 9.0 |
| 2017 | San Antonio | 34 | 3 | 20.2 | .457 | .375 | .608 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 7.8 |
| 2018 | Las Vegas | 33 | 0 | 14.4 | .526 | .289 | .742 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 7.4 |
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 34 | 9 | 24.8 | .488 | .321 | .718 | 7.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 11.0 |
| 2020 | Las Vegas | 22 | 0 | 28.3 | .539 | .474 | .716 | 7.1 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 13.0 |
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 23 | 0 | 25.1 | .531 | .226 | .673 | 7.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 11.3 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 34 | 32 | 26.5 | .466 | .219 | .720 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 9.3 |
| 2023 | Los Angeles | 40 | 19 | 24.8 | .431 | .220 | .648 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 8.9 |
| 2024 | Los Angeles | 40 | 40 | 33.7 | .512 | .341 | .631 | 9.2 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 3.0 | 17.3 |
| Career | 10 years, 2 teams | 322 | 144 | 24.0 | .478 | .298 | .671 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 10.2 |
| All-Star | 3 | 0 | 8.7 | .357 | .667 | .000 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Las Vegas | 5 | 0 | 28.4 | .556 | .462 | .400 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 12.0 |
| 2020 | Las Vegas | 3 | 0 | 25.0 | .529 | .200 | .625 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 8.0 |
| 2021 | Las Vegas | 5 | 0 | 17.4 | .292 | .000 | .500 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 3.8 |
| 2022† | Las Vegas | 6 | 0 | 8.5 | .600 | .000 | .250 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Career | 4 years, 1 team | 19 | 0 | 18.7 | .484 | .292 | .469 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 5.8 |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Wake Forest | 34 | 13 | 16.6 | .397 | .250 | .447 | 4.1 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.8 |
| 2012–13 | Wake Forest | 32 | 30 | 28.2 | .542 | .250 | .620 | 6.2 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 10.6 |
| 2013–14 | Wake Forest | 31 | 30 | 35.4 | .552 | .268 | .676 | 11.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 4.2 | 22.0 |
| 2014–15 | Wake Forest | 31 | 31 | 35.7 | .507 | .262 | .708 | 10.5 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 20.1 |
| Career | 128 | 104 | 28.7 | .519 | .260 | .664 | 7.9 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 13.9 | |
Off the court
editPersonal life
editHamby and her husband welcomed their daughter, Amaya, in February 2017. In September 2022 at the Las Vegas Aces Championship parade, Hamby announced she was expecting her second child.[15] Dearica Hamby announced the birth of her second child, Legend Maree Scandrick, on her Instagram account in March 2023.[16]
Federal discrimination complaint
editIn September 2023, Hamby filed a federal discrimination complaint against the WNBA and the Las Vegas Aces, claiming the Aces traded her because she was pregnant and that the league did not adequately investigate.[17]
References
edit- ^ Journal, Scott Hamilton/Winston-Salem. "Hamby selected 6th by San Antonio in WNBA Draft". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
- ^ "Las Vegas' Dearica Hamby Named 2019 WNBA Sixth Woman Of The Year" (Press release). NBA Media Ventures. September 15, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- ^ WNBA says "5 seconds" left in "Hamby's Steal, 3-Pointer Help Aces Advance, Eliminate Sky". NBA Media Ventures. Associated Press. September 15, 2019. and Michelle Smith says she took her shot with "6.5 seconds to go", in Smith, Michelle (September 15, 2019). "Hamby Gives The Aces, WNBA An Unforgettable Moment". NBA Media Ventures. and, M.A. Voepel says "about 8.8 seconds left" in Voepel, M.A. (September 15, 2019). "Dearica Hamby's ill-advised shot lifts Las Vegas Aces into WNBA semifinals". ESPN. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- ^ "Aces Sign Dearica Hamby To Contract Extension". aces.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "Sparks Acquire WNBA Champion Dearica Hamby".
- ^ "Sparks Forward Dearica Hamby Signs Contract Extension". Los Angeles Sparks. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ @Unrivaledwbb (August 12, 2024). "DEARICA IS UNRIVALED👑 11/30✅" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Dearica Hamby Gears for First USA Basketball 3x3 Experience". USA Basketball. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "USA Women Take Home FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup Gold Medal With Last-Second Lob". USA Basketball. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Hamby lifts U.S. women to 3x3 AmeriCup gold". ESPN.com. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Dearica Hamby replaces Sparks teammate Cameron Brink on US 3x3 Olympic team". AP News. 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ Garcia, Edwin (2024-08-10). "Dearica Hamby reacts to winning bronze medal: 'This means a lot to me'". Silver Screen and Roll. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Dearica Hamby WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ "NCAA Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
- ^ Williams, Madison. "Aces Player Reveals She Was Pregnant While Playing in WNBA Finals". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ "espnW - Congratulations to Dearica Hamby on the birth of her second child, Legend 🤩 (via Dearica Hamby)". Facebook. March 16, 2023.
- ^ "WNBA player files pregnancy discrimination complaint - JWS". Just Women's Sports. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
External links
edit
- Career statistics and player information from WNBA.com and Basketball Reference
- "Dearica Hamby Bio". Wake Forest Women's Basketball. WakeForestSports.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- @WNBA (September 15, 2019). "The @dearicamarie game-winner in #PhantomCam" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
